The director of a haulage firm whose marriage to a disqualified director prompted a public inquiry to find out if her business was a ‘front’ has been given a formal warning.
Deputy traffic commissioner Gerallt Evans said he was satisfied that ERS Logistics was not acting as a front for ETA Waste Management and that director Emma Corbett had done enough to demonstrate that it was an independent entity.
The operator had applied to change its operating centre and increase the number of vehicles on its licence and, in the process, questions were raised about her relationship to Thomas Poole.
Poole had his licence revoked and was disqualified for two years after it was found he had acquired a business with an O-licence and was using it for one of his other firms, ETA Skip Hire (NW).
At a Golborne public inquiry, Corbett explained that she was aware her husband had been disqualified but denied he had instigated the creation of her company.
She accepted 94% of the income of her business over the last three months was derived from providing haulage to ETA Waste Management, but she added she was solely responsible for managing her licence and there was no evidence to show Poole was involved in instructing drivers or any other management tasks.
The DTC found Corbett had been “reticent” about disclosing the true extent of the relationship with Poole to avoid scrutiny, but she had not intentionally misled the TC.
As a result, a formal warning was issued.
