The action follows extensive evidence demonstrating persistent failures in vehicle maintenance, record‑keeping, and the fulfilment of mandatory operator undertakings. These were failures the Commissioner described as placing road safety at real and ongoing risk.
While acknowledging limited mitigating factors, the Commissioner stated that Mr Singh had come “as close as an operator can come” to being disqualified but stopped short of imposing a Section 28 disqualification in this instance.
The inquiry revealed a long-standing pattern of non‑compliance. Mr Singh spent an extended period in India, likely from mid‑December 2024 to late March 2025, without notifying the Office of the Traffic Commissioner. During this period, he allowed a driver to run the entire transport operation, a clear breach of the duty to maintain effective oversight. ANPR data confirmed that his vehicle was sighted 257 times during his absence.
The operator’s only vehicle, a 38‑year‑old Mercedes, was subjected to dangerously extended gaps between Preventative Maintenance Inspections (PMIs) including a delay of 208 days between two PMIs (124 days late on a 12‑week schedule, or 166 days late on the minimum 6‑week schedule required for a vehicle of this age). Subsequent PMIs were also late, and no meaningful laden brake tests were carried out. The MOT history showed six consecutive failures, including one abandoned test, which Commissioner Dorrington described as an “appalling” record.
These failings created prolonged periods in which the vehicle was likely unroadworthy.
Mr Singh demonstrated limited knowledge of even the most basic operator obligations, frequently guessing or failing to answer questions during the inquiry. He had undertaken no operator‑specific professional development.
The Traffic Commissioner concluded that Mr Singh was unfit to hold a licence saying “Road safety had been put at real risk for a long time… The weight of negative findings significantly outweighs the positives.”
Suspension or curtailment were deemed wholly inappropriate given the scale and seriousness of the failings.
Mr Singh has been formally warned that after 2345 on 5 April 2026, he will have no legal authority to operate any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes for commercial purposes. Any such use will be subject to vehicle impounding.
The Commissioner also told Mr Singh that he will only be considered for a new restricted licence (maximum one vehicle) if he complies with a strict list of undertakings.
For full details of the decision, visit the Traffic Commissioner Regulatory Decisions page
For any further details or enquiries, please contact
Email [email protected]
