Strathclyde Passenger Transport boss in car scam

Can you imagine the trouble an operator would get in if they did this with any of their buses?

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) chief executive Gordon Maclennan had a VW Passat in his staff car park and another at his holiday home, both with the same registration plate.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) chief executive Gordon Maclennan had a VW Passat in his staff car park and another at his holiday home – both with the same SF02 ORB registration.

Last week we photographed the £153,000-a-year public sector director, 69, driving a cloned silver Passat at his retreat on the Isle of Lewis.

His police officer son Stuart was sitting in the passenger seat.

But at the same time an almost identical blue Passat car with the same reg was pictured at his office – 300 miles away in Glasgow city centre.

Public records show a blue version of the car is taxed and MOT-ed with the DVLA.

Cloning is a highly illegal practice often used by organised criminals to commit an offence which
is later associated with another car.

If a legitimate car’s registration is placed on one of a similar make and model, the scam could also be used to avoid road tax, insurance and MOT costs.

When we confronted Maclennan – who also part-owns a motor repair garage – he attempted to
deny everything.

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Maybe he's trying to be green by using public transport to get between his office and holiday home?

edwin_m said:

Maybe he's trying to be green by using public transport to get between his office and holiday home?

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I take it your reply is sent in jest.

I guess it's so he only pays tax/MOT on one. At £153000 a year it isn't like he was hard up.

matt_world2004 said:

I guess it's so he only pays tax/MOT on one at £153000 a year it isn't like he was hard up

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I trust that his resignation letter will be submitted tomorrow. Another example of someone who thinks that they are above the law - and his son is a policeman so he should sacked as well.

A VW?

You'd think someone on that sort of money, and in the motor trade, would drive at least an Audi, Merc or Beemer!

This is entertaining. He used the second vehicle to go to church (driving on a Sunday??), he is 69 years old. Perhaps he should retire. And his police officer son got into trouble for working as an Elvis impersonator during lockdown.

You couldnae make it up.

edwin_m said:

Maybe he's trying to be green by using public transport to get between his office and holiday home?

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Ah yes, by using that handy, frequent bus service that runs from Glasgow to Stornoway

Tom Gallacher said:

I trust that his resignation letter will be submitted tomorrow. Another example of someone who thinks that they are above the law - and his son is a policeman so he should sacked as well.

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Don't be silly. He will get his wrist slapped and 'lessons will be learned' as his wife stands by him.

Tom Gallacher said:

and his son is a policeman so he should sacked as well.

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To be fair, that should only be the case if he (the son) is complicit in the crime. Not being a 'number plate spotter', I wouldn't know any different if someone gave me a lift in a cloned vehicle.

Ken H said:

Don't be silly. He will get his wrist slapped and 'lessons will be learned' as his wife stands by him.

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What does his wife have to do with it? Unless he was using his cloned vehicle to hide an extra-marital affair: something which doesn't appear to have happened.

It's a bit hypocritical for a chairman of a public transport organisation to evade taxes designed to incentivse public transport use.

pdeaves said:

To be fair, that should only be the case if he (the son) is complicit in the crime. Not being a 'number plate spotter', I wouldn't know any different if someone gave me a lift in a cloned vehicle.

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His son can't be much of a copper if he can't spot the difference in the vehicles. You have no chance of getting two second hand cars that look identical outside and inside - especially when they are 19 years old and one is silver with the other one being blue.

Tom Gallacher said:

His son can't be much of a copper if he can't spot the difference in the vehicles. You have no chance of getting two second hand cars that look identical outside and inside - especially when they are 19 years old and one is silver with the other one being blue.

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True, but in this instance I meant telling the (non-)difference in number plate. My parents could give me a lift in any number of cars (like before/after when they change car). I would tell the difference but not necessarily whether the number plate was the same as the same or not.

If the son knew nothing of what was going on, he shouldn't be expected to resign his post. If, on the other hand, he was part of the scheme, then yes, resignation should happen.

pdeaves said:

True, but in this instance I meant telling the (non-)difference in number plate. My parents could give me a lift in any number of cars (like before/after when they change car). I would tell the difference but not necessarily whether the number plate was the same as the same or not.

If the son knew nothing of what was going on, he shouldn't be expected to resign his post. If, on the other hand, he was part of the scheme, then yes, resignation should happen.

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The only way I could see him absolved of any conspiracy is if he is based somewhere remote from his fathers home and not in the habit of visiting him. Maybe he was ignorant of the fact but it doesn't say much for the father if he is prepared to put his son's career in danger so that he can save a couple of bob. As the father is 69 I guess that his son would probably be in his 40's and have a long service with the police behind him. I don't know how these things go but I would assume that if he is dismissed he would lose all his pension stuff. The mans greed knows no bounds and it make me wonder what else he thinks he can get away with. Or indeed has got away with.



Didn't take long - be interesting to see the outcome though.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-58228508

"The chief executive of Scotland's largest public transport group has been suspended after allegations he drove a car with a cloned number plate.
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) said it was conducting an investigation into claims Gordon Maclennan had two VW Passats with identical registrations.
The suspension follows a report in The Sunday Mail newspaper.
Mr Maclennan denied any wrongdoing, saying the claims were "not true".
The Sunday Mail reported that Mr Maclennan kept one vehicle in a staff car park and another at his holiday home on the Isle of Lewis.

'Now suspended'​

It published a photograph appearing to show Mr Maclennan entering a silver Passat on Lewis.
Another photograph showed a blue Passat with an identical registration plate outside the SPT headquarters in Glasgow.
Cloning a registration plate is illegal, as cloned cars could escape paying tax, insurance and MOT costs.
They can also be used to avoid fines for speeding and driving offences.
SPT runs the Glasgow Subway as well as subsidised bus services in and around the city.
A spokeswoman for SPT said: "Mr Maclennan is now suspended while an investigation is carried out."

Dai Corner said:

A VW?

You'd think someone on that sort of money, and in the motor trade, would drive at least an Audi, Merc or Beemer!

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Just because someone can afford a more expensive car doesn't mean they want to own one.

I could easily afford a newer car if I wanted one, but I'm happy driving around in a Rover 75 and Renault Laguna. There's also far less to go wrong on those two cars than my partner's more modern Renault Kadjar, or any other modern car for that matter.

507021 said:

Just because someone can afford a more expensive car doesn't mean they want to own one.

I could easily afford a newer car if I wanted one, but I'm happy driving around in a Rover 75 and Renault Laguna. There's also far less to go wrong on those two cars than my partner's more modern Renault Kadjar, or any other modern car for that matter.

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Maybe he could only afford two cars if they were old bangers

Tom Gallacher said:

Maybe he could only afford two cars if they were old bangers

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Or maybe he just likes Mk5 Volkswagen Passats?

I can certainly see why as they're decent, reliable cars.

I doubt his son is in any trouble, who checks the registration of every car they get into and then checks it against their memory of another , same make car of the owner? Even if he knew, he has plausible deniability.

Doubtless the chief is now desperately looking for a way to blame his garage staff, if he has access to a different same model car he can claim a mistake not of his doing.

Still stinks mind, I am not trying to claim anyone is innocent.

Used to be a family round my way with 3 VW Beetles all with the same reg. Perhaps it's a VW thing?!

Geordie driver said:

Doubtless the chief is now desperately looking for a way to blame his garage staff, if he has access to a different same model car he can claim a mistake not of his doing.

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If the second registration plate is simply a blunder by his garage (How likely is that?), then he’ll easily be able to produce paperwork showing the vehicle’s real registration number, together with an insurance policy for it and that it’s taxed & MOT’d in it’s real identity. But if he can’t do that, I know what conclusion I would come to.

Elwyn said:

If the second registration plate is simply a blunder by his garage (How likely is that?), then he’ll easily be able to produce paperwork showing the vehicle’s real registration number, together with an insurance policy for it and that it’s taxed & MOT’d in it’s real identity. But if he can’t do that, I know what conclusion I would come to.

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Indeed.

Regarding well off peoples cars, I know a number of doctors and surgeons who drive decent model cheaper cars that look like they have been to the moon and back, my cousin has a golf with 200 000 plus miles on it that looks like a shed. A tatty shed at that.

Gordon Maclennan has been suspended from his post.

A GLASGOW transport boss has been suspended over alleged use of a cloned car.

Gordon Maclennan faces claims he illegally drover a motor with a cloned number plate.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), where he is Chief Executive, has launched a probe into the allegations.

He is accused of having two Volkswagen Passats with the exact same registration.

The Sunday Mail reported that Maclennan kept one vehicle in a staff car park and another at his holiday home on the Isle of Lewis.

One pic appeared to show him getting into a silver Passat on the Isle of Lewis, while another showed him with a blue version outside the SPT building in Glasgow.

Cloning a registration plate is illegal, as cloned cars could escape paying tax, insurance and MOT costs.

They can also be used to avoid fines for speeding and driving offences.

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I'm concerned that some forum members are making claims without backing them up with facts. As the matter is now under investigation, I feel it would be a good time to close the thread. If there are any further developments, we will consider re-opening the thread at a later date.