A Swansea minibus operator has been disqualified from carrying passengers for 18 months by the Traffic Commissioner (TC) for Wales, Nick Jones.
Matthew Benjamin, who traded as MCB Mini Travel, also had his licence revoked.
The decision followed a Public Inquiry (PI) at Cardiff Civil Justice Centre on January 5, 2017, which he did not attend.
The hearing was called after the TC received reports of Mr Benjamin’s convictions at Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court in April 2016 and Brecon Magistrates’ Court in September the same year. Mr Benjamin pleaded guilty to employing unlicensed drivers, operating vehicles without a licence and failing to supply information or produce paperwork on request.
The TC also heard that taxis operated by Mr Benjamin had been stopped and issued with prohibition notices for defects. In one instance, the defect was marked as safety critical and related to the vehicle’s brakes.
In a written decision issued after the hearing, Mr Jones concluded: “Repeated offences relating to taxi and private hire licensing are relevant to this operator’s repute.
“The offences are serious and point to a person who has little regard to a regulated environment.
“I make a finding on the balance of probabilities, that Matthew Benjamin is not capable of operating safe passenger carrying vehicles in accordance with regulatory requirements.”
