Thomas Ryan, the director of Greenford-based Euro Skips Ltd, allowed his licence to be used by Liam Moloney Plant Hire Ltd after it had its own licence revoked in September.
Nick Denton, traffic commissioner for London and southeast England, said that Thomas Ryan was effectively a cipher who had almost no knowledge of his responsibilities as an operator – and no interest in them.
Mr Denton ruled that Euro Skips was enabling Liam Moloney Plant Hire Ltd to ‘operate from beyond the grave’.
The regulator had previously terminated the licence held by Liam Moloney Plant Hire Ltd after finding that the company had ignored the law and made promises that turned out to be ‘worthless’. [See our previous report here.]
At the subsequent hearing into Euro Skips Ltd, the traffic commissioner found that:
- City of London Police had stopped a vehicle on the company’s licence that was registered to and insured by Liam Moloney Plant Hire Ltd and with its tachograph unit data locked in by Liam Moloney Plant Hire Ltd;
- two of the company’s vehicles were issued with prohibitions, for a tachograph not sealed properly and insecure tailgate fittings and inoperative stop lamps;
- one of the company’s driver’s was issued with a fixed penalty for no evidence of driver CPC qualification
- the company had failed to satisfy the financial standing requirements to continue holding a licence and to be granted a new licence in another traffic area;
- Liam Moloney misled the regulator at a previous public inquiry by saying his surplus vehicles had been sold to Euro Skips Ltd: there was no evidence of any transfer of money.
In a written decision issued after the hearing, the traffic commissioner said the two companies were clearly being run as effectively the same business.
“My conclusion is that Euro Skips Ltd is not fit to hold an operator’s licence,” he said. “I have no faith in Mr Ryan’s ability or willingness to comply in the future. Because the whole purpose of Euro Skips Ltd since the change of ownership has been to defeat my regulatory decisions concerning Liam Moloney Plant Hire Ltd I also conclude that Euro Skips Ltd deserves to go out of business.”
Mr Ryan is disqualified until 13th December 2017, during which time he will not be able to apply for or hold an operator’s licence, including as a director.
In a separate order, carried over from the public inquiry into his own company’s licence, Liam Moloney was disqualified for three years from 13th September 2015.
The regulator concluded: “Mr Moloney’s company has operated vehicles without regard for the law regarding their roadworthiness and operation. He has sought to sidestep the effects of regulatory action by transferring activity to another company licence while in reality continuing to operate. He has sought to deceive me about what was happening.”
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