Stricken haulier given extra time
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Consideration of disciplinary action against a Manchester haulier was adjourned until he is fit to give evidence, but only if he met a seven-day deadline to appoint a new nominated transport manager.
Barry Howard, trading as Stretford Haulage, of Choi-lion-cum-Hardy, had been called before North Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Patrick Mufvenna because of concern over his maintenance record, but was unfit to attend.
Vehicle examiner Stephen Lyon said that at a previous public inquiry in December the licence was cut from two vehicles to one. In April he inspected Howard's one vehicle and imposed a delayed prohibition for excessive play in a steering ball joint. There was no forward planner and the inspection records were not properly completed. Maintenance was being carried out by two contractors but no contract existed.
Lyon told Ben MacKenzie, for Howard, that he was unable to say whether inspections had been carried out because of the way the records had been filled in.
Howard himself had been unsure whether the records were inspection records or merely job sheets.
Though the records produced for May, June and July were better, they were still not being completed properly. But he was satisfied that inspections were being carried out.
He agreed that the only other prohibition since the last public inquiry was a delayed prohibition for one of 10 loose wheelnuts.
Arguing that there had been a wholehearted improvement since the last inquiry. MacKenzie said it was harsh to blame Howard entirely when it was the maintenance contractor who had failed to fill in the records correctly.
After the deputy TC had expressed concern about who was running the business in Howard's absence, MacKenzie said that, though unwell, he was not bed-ridden and was still in charge.
Mulvenna said his difficulty was that he had a doctor's note saying that Howard was incapable of working for three months.
MacKenzie said that Howard's daughterin-law held a CPC and would be prepared to act as transport manager.