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A South Yorkshire owner-driver has lost his licence for using an unauthorised operating centre and an unautho rised vehicle.
Clive Raven, trading as Ravens Haulage, of Sheffield, had been called before North Eastern Deputy Traffic Commissioner Brian Homer. He held a licence for one vehicle and one trailer.
In reply to the Deputy TC, Raven said he had not used his authorised operating centre since March. Asked about the operation of a second artic, he said that he had bought the vehicle after his main customer offered him extra work, and he had put the vehicle on the road. He had then decided to stay with a single vehicle.
Vehicle examiner Peter Vardy said that in the past 15 months Raven's vehicles and trailers had been issued with two immediate prohibitions, two delayed prohibitions and two variation notices.
In April his second vehicle was given a delayed prohibition and the trailer it was towing was given an immediate prohibition showing a significant maintenance failure because the third axle's offside brake was not working.
A variation notice was issued when the vehicle was produced for clearance. It was clear that the unauthorised vehicle and trailer had been used for some time.
Raven said that he had only bought the second vehicle and trailer in April. He had been assured that they were in good condition but the truck had since been sold for scrap. 'I purchased the vehicle in haste after a customer offered me additional work and I put it on the road before making an application for an additional vehicle," he added.
He agreed that his variation application for a new operating centre and extra vehicle and trailer, which was not proceeded with, had been opposed by the police.
"Trying to expand was the biggest mistake I have made," he told the court.
Asked why requested financial information had not been supplied, Raven claimed to have posted it to the Traffic Area Office the previous week.
Revoking the licence, the Deputy TC said that when financial information was asked for it had to be received well before the public inquiry. In the present circumstances he could not make a proper judgement on finance. In addition, the maintenance arrangements were unsatisfactory and the use of an unauthorised operating centre and the unlicensed vehicle were very serious matters.