A Fife minibus operator is facing a six-week suspension from running his vehicle.
George Cowan, who operates from Dryburgh Road, Coaltown of Wemyss, appeared at a public inquiry when he applied to increase his restricted operator’s licence to two vehicles.
He also asked the Traffic Commissioner for permission to keep vehicles in Dunfermline.
The inquiry was called to examine Mr Cowan’s ability to meet the requirements for his licence, including that he had a main occupation which did not involve running minibuses. The hearing was told Mr Cowan and his solicitor, Jonathan Matheson-Dear, had made an application to begin operating minibuses as a partnership, under the name Route 66 Travel.
His main occupation remained painting and decorating, with minibus work undertaken at weekends. Mr Matheson-Dear’s principal occupation was as a solicitor.
Mr Matheson-Dear apologised for the failure to notify the Traffic Commissioner’s Office about the partnership change.
Operator licences are not transferable and a new application should have been made when the partnership was discussed.
The traffic commissioner, Joan Aitken, examined the partnership’s main occupation, which was confirmed as providing minibus hire services.
And she made clear to both partners the application though not under consideration at the hearing could not be authorised.
Their main occupation of running minibuses was not permitted under a restricted licence.
In a written decision issued after the hearing, Miss Aitken said there was only one way his sole trader licence could continue and that was if she took action to “restore the balance of fair competition by putting down a serious marker in respect of principal occupation”.
Suspending the licence for six weeks, Miss Aitken also refused Mr Cowan’s application for an extra vehicle.
“There was nothing to stop Mr Cowan from applying for a standard national licence when the principal occupation issue would not have arisen,” she said.
Following the hearing, the Traffic Commissioner received confirmation the partnership had been dissolved with immediate effect.