Nick Jones, traffic commissioner for Wales, said he had “no sympathy whatsoever” with Syllamas because it had knowingly operated vehicles with defects, without tax and without MOTs.
He added that the firm had prioritised commercial considerations over road safety and compliance with the law.
The regulator revoked the company’s licence to run vehicles and disqualified the firm and its director, Pauline Morris, from holding another licence for 12 months.
He also concluded that Stephen Morris had been acting as a shadow director and disqualified him for 36 months, also disqualifying him from his nominated position as transport manager and from professional driving for one year.
At a public inquiry on 21 March, DVSA examiners told the regulator that a vehicle and trailer belonging to Syllamus had been stopped in January and issued with three fixed penalties and a safety critical prohibition notice. The next day, the police stopped the same vehicle and identified that it was not insured.
DVSA examiners also found a trailer at the company’s premises without an MOT and with safety critical defects and, the regulator heard, Morris had used an untested vehicle on 26 occasions when he had been told the MOT had expired.
“The failures have had a significant impact on risks to other road users due to the poor vehicle conditions,” Jones said.
He also concluded that a professional driver who drives an uninsured vehicle and knows that it is unroadworthy, untaxed and without a valid MOT merits an order of personal disqualification.