A recent Traffic Commissioner decision, issued in April 2026, involving Kamlesh Kumar t/a Mazza Coaches highlights some of the most serious regulatory failings seen in the PSV sector and reinforces the importance of transparency, compliance and professional integrity.
Key Failings Identified
The key failings identified can be categorised across five main areas.
- Dishonesty and non-disclosure
- Failure to declare two bankruptcies in 2004 and 2015
- Failure to declare a serious fraud conviction in 2011
- Evidence suggested these omissions were deliberate, not accidental
- The operator was found to have misled regulators over many years
- The licence had originally been granted on a false declaration
- Serious operational non-compliance
- Inadequate control of:
- Drivers’ hours
- Tachograph records
- Working time compliance
- Failure to produce complete records during the investigation
- Unlawful operating practices
- Operating more vehicles than authorised
- Use of another company as a “de facto operator” without a licence
- Attempted concealment
- Fabricated or unreliable documentation, e.g. vehicle hire arrangements
- Evidence of data manipulation in tachograph records
Regulatory Outcome
Following a Public Inquiry that uncovered long-standing and deliberate non-compliance, the TC concluded this case was at the “high end of severe”, involving:
- Deliberate misconduct
- Commercial advantage over compliant operators
- Risk to road safety
The Traffic Commissioner for London & the Southeast decided to do the following:
- Revoked the operator’s licence
- Disqualified the operator and associated company for 10 years
- Disqualified the transport manager for 10 years
Important Points for Operators & Transport Managers
This case is a stark reminder of the following:
- Full disclosure is non-negotiable – past convictions, insolvency and material changes must always be declared.
- Historic issues and current behaviour affect regulatory outcome.
- Systems must be robust and auditable – especially around tachographs, drivers’ hours and vehicle usage.
- You cannot “outsource” compliance – ultimate responsibility always sits with the operator and TM.
- Regulators will act, even if years later – the Commissioner emphasised that delayed detection does not reduce the severity of consequences.
The decision reinforces a simple but critical principle that must be adhered to. The operator licensing system is built on trust, transparency and continuous compliance. Once that trust is broken, the consequences are decisive and long-lasting.
Our specialist team can support you with compliance awareness so that you do not get caught out by changes. Contact Jared Dunbar today for help.