Five-week withdrawal of O-licence for London Vintage Transport

The national O licence of three vehicles owned by Leighton Buzzard-based London Vintage Transport Ltd has been suspended for five weeks by Transport Commissioner Richard Turfitt in a move to make it clear to the company that there can be no amateurish approach to compliance with the regulations.

The TC said that there was currently no Transport Manager (TM) on the license. His impression of the operation was not professional, but
It was a hobby where the systems were used whenever there was time alongside other work commitments.

Despite their passion for vintage buses, directors Steve Hickin and Rob McElwee must ensure that the operation meets the same basic requirements that apply to any operator.

Mr Hickin acknowledged he had not always performed the role of a director. He said he had decided to now devote himself to those duties. In 2025 he would be granted a six-month sabbatical from his employment elsewhere and would then be able to work flexibly. In the meantime, Mr McElwee lived and worked abroad. They communicated via WhatsApp and occasional conversations.

The TC said he was satisfied that the company had failed to maintain its vehicles in working and operational condition, to employ an effective written system for reporting driver defects and to keep complete maintenance records. Cease and desist orders had been issued. There had been repeated failures to notify changes of intent, meaning he had been misled by the company and former TM Mark Cutler that it was in full compliance with the regulations until he was told otherwise. The failure to get the operation in order was not encouraging. Due to the sporadic nature of the operation, too much was done remotely or on an ad hoc basis.

The late intervention of transport consultant Ian Chennell offered the prospect of policy measures that could be implemented, but there was little clarity about how and by whom these could be implemented.

To meet these obligations, he required that all regular drivers be made employees and then pay PAYE and National Insurance contributions and that a director attend a one-day course on O-Licence Awareness Training in person or virtually.

TC Turfitt granted a grace period for obtaining a new TM, saying that a TC must accept a holder of a Certificate of Professional Competence, in which case they would be expected to demonstrate how they would achieve compliance in light of the challenges identified. Whether the licence survives the suspension period depends on an extension of the grace period.