Licence cut to four years
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• The 14-vehicle licence held by R & M Development, of Manchester, has been renewed for four years, instead of the full five, by North Western Deputy LA John Levin.
DOT vehicle examiner Edmund Burke said six immediate and three delayed prohibitions had been imposed on the company's vehicles since October 1990. On three occasions, the prohibitions were varied after additional defects were found when the vehicles concerned were presented for clearance.
Director Thomas McKenna agreed the company had been fined £1,250 for an axle overload.
He said that it was the only overloading problem R & M Developments had ever experienced. He said it was unbelievable that the vehicle was overweight as it had been loaded with bricks by hand. It was stopped when less than a mile from the tip. Levin commented that it had been a large fine for an axle overload.
Asked why the conviction had not been notified to the LA, McKenna said he had not been aware of the requirement to do so.
Questioned about the payment of two mitigating penalties for failing to tax vehicles, McKenna said it had been an oversight in the office. The vehicles concerned ran for a month without tax and were picked up by road cameras.
McKenna said that the company had obtained an additional parking area which would relieve the congestion at the yard. A spare vehicle was now kept. Most of the prohibitions appeared to arise five weeks after inspection.
The period between inspections was being reduced to three to four weeks. Two wagons had caused most problems. He had sacked one driver and said his wagon had gone as well.
James Kenny, the company's foreman fitter, said that maintenance staff had been increased. Some drivers had not been inspecting the wagons, and he would make sure they did.
Kenny commented that things were a lot better this year and the prohibitions they were getting were not as bad as in the past. Issuing the company with a formal warning and renewing the licence for four years, Levin said it was clear that its system had not been tight enough to pick up a lot of the faults. He accepted there was now a better system and matters were improving. He warned that if there were more problems, the company would not be dealt with as leniently.