Just one week after Welsh haulier Mansel Davies had its licence revoked by the traffic commissioner for falsifying maintenance records its directors have been granted a new licence to run the business under the name of MDS Distribution Limited.
The Pembrokeshire-based family haulage firm Mansel Davies and Son Ltd will have its licence revoked in February 2021 after a Caernarfon public inquiry found the company had knowingly operated unsafe vehicles and behaved in a manner that "was right at the top end of the scale of non-compliance”.
The family firm is the largest milk haulier in Wales, operating a fleet of around 150 trucks from its base in Llanfyrnach and employing over 300 staff.
TC Nick Denton said the directors had presided over a “toxic maintenance culture”, which saw records falsified for years and vehicles sent out out of the workshop with incomplete PMIs until well into 2018.
Directors David Mansel Kaye Davies and Stephen Mansel Edward Davies, together with transport manager Rhodri Wyn, were disqualified indefinitely from their respective roles.
Administrative assistant Jonathan Phillips was given a suspended nine-month prison sentence, after pleading guilty to forging maintenance records.
The company was also given a record £380,000 fine, with £120,000 costs, after pleading guilty at Swansea Crown Court to 19 offences of forgery and counterfeiting maintenance records in February this year.
However, despite the TC stating at the PI that the company deserved to go out of business, the new management team at Mansel Davies, which includes Sasha and Scott, the children of Stephen Davies, has been granted a licence.
Read more
- Mansel Davies has licence revoked after falsifying maintenance records
- Mansel Davies and Son fined £380,000 for false maintenance records
- Mansel Davies pleads guilty to records fraud
The decision was made on the grounds that the new management team is now operating the business to a high standard of compliance and has introduced a new culture at the company.
Mansel Davies employees were made aware of the decision in a letter sent to them last Friday (11 December) which confirmed that a new operating licence would be granted and that the name of the business would be MDS Distribution Limited.
The letter states: "Dear employee. Given your obvious worry as to the position following the revocation from February 1, 2021 of Mansel Davies and Son Limited's operator's licence, the Traffic Commissioner has kindly agreed to us notifying you of the future arrangements to continue the business."
The letter continues: "Since the hearing concluded, the directors have been in further discussions with the commissioner, who has, on Friday, December 11, in a video hearing, confirmed that the new licence will be granted.
"This means that all employees will retain their jobs and all contracts will continue to be serviced. Your employment will be transferred to MDS Distribution under the same terms as your current employment with Mansel Davies and Son Limited.
"The business wishes to put all employees' minds at rest that their jobs are safe."
A spokesman at the Office of the Traffic Commissioner confirmed that the company will be granted a licence under the name of MDS Distribution.