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Operator given six weeks to get it right or close down
Page 34
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AN OPERATOR HAS been told that unless his vehicles can undergo an MoT test without defects his drivers should have detected being discovered, he will lose his licence. He has been given six weeks to do this after failing to carry out undertakings given to a previous inquiry.
Andrew Henderson, trading as Arthur Henderson Transport of Crook, Co Durham, was appearing before the North-Eastern Traffic Commissioner Tom Macartncy.
Henderson, who holds a licence for two vehicles and one trailer, was given a formal warning after making five undertakings relating to vehicle maintenance at a previous public inquiry in June 2005.
Vehicle examiner Gordon Whittaker said maintenance was contracted out to three different contractors, Three of the undertakings given at the last public inquiry had not been complied with —the stated inspection period of six weeks had been extended on a number of occasions; there was no evidence that roller brake tests had been carried out every six weeks; and the initial pass rate at annual test was only 33%.
Henderson said problems getting vehicles booked in with one of the contractors had led to the extended inspection periods, but he had now resolved that.
The pass rate was down to 33% because a vehicle had failed on brake efficiency when it had passed a roller brake test at the contractor's only two hours before. Roller brake tests were now being carried out elsewhere after one of the contractors wanted to charge £12 an axle but gave no printouts.
Henderson agreed that brake tests had not been carried out every six weeks.
The TC said that if drivers knew they would have difficulty finding another job if the licence was lost, they might do things differently. Henderson needed to explain to them that their living, as well as his own, was potentially at risk.