
A Southall operator with “much to learn” has had his appeal against the revocation of his licence dismissed after a tribunal said he was the “author of his own misfortunes”.
Gurjeet Sandhu, sole director at Mixingh Concrete, appealed the decision by traffic commissioner Sarah Bell to remove its licence after the firm did not respond to letters explaining it was a statutory requirement to have a transport manager in place.
The nominated transport manager, Harshdeep Mandair, had previously written to the office of the TC to say he had resigned.
In his appeal, Sandhu said his company had not operated any vehicles since the licence was granted, he had been actively searching for a replacement transport manager and he had forgotten to inform the TC’s office he had changed correspondence address.
During the appeal hearing, the director accepted that TC Bell’s decision to revoke his licence was not plainly wrong and he was responsible for the position he now found himself in.
Nevertheless, he asked the tribunal to give him another chance.
In its decision, the appeal tribunal said: “Neither prior to the application being submitted or once the licence was granted, did he take any steps to acquire the requisite knowledge to effectively manage the operator’s licence.
“In sending out three copies of the letter warning of revocation, there was nothing more that the TC was reasonably required to do.
“Mr Sandhu was advised that his appeal would be dismissed and that he should now apply for a new licence.”