Promises fail to impress the TCs
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• Operators could not come to a public inquiry making promises —they had to get it right from the start, said Eastern Traffic Commissioner Geoffrey Simms when he cut the authorisation on the licence held by Ely-based James and Julian Sibson, trading as S&Y Haulage, from 15 vehicles and 26 trailers to 10 vehicles and 10 trailers.
Vehicle examiner Frederick King said in February he carried out an investigation following up a warning letter in July 1997. He ins
pected two vehicles and two trailers, issuing one delayed prohibition. Three vehicles and three trailers inspected in June were satisfactory but the period between inspections was still being extended.
The large number of prohibitions issued led him to believe the inspections were unsatisfactory or drivers were not reporting defects. Since May 1994, six immediate and five delayed prohibitions had been imposed on S&Y vehicles and trailers.
James Sibson said a number of the prohibitions related to hired trailers. Only two of the immediate and four of the delayed prohibitions related to the company's vehicles.
Convictions for defective brakes and using a trailer with a chassis in a dangerous condition (leading to £1,764 in fines and costs) had arisen out of the use of a hired trailer, he added. Drivers had been instructed to report defects on hired trailers.
Vehicles had been inspected every six weeks, instead of at monthly intervals, due to a lack of communication with the selfemployed fitter. Sibson agreed there had been little improvement in the firm's record when the examiner visited in February.
For the firm, Desmond Hutchinson said it was accepted that the maintenance system was not satisfactory and that it had been put right recently.
Cutting the licence, the TC said that there had been too many prohibitions.