TC lets firm off for poor spell
Page 10
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
An annual test failure led to Caerphillybased Greenway Recycling's appearance before Welsh Traffic Commissioner David Dixon. Vehicle examiner Robert Mitchum said that following the test failure a maintenance Investigation had revealed gaps In Greenway's inspection records and that there was no driver defect reporting system.
Managing director Cohn Smith said he Mt that the prohibition imposed at annual test for brake imbalance had not been as harsh as it appeared at first sight. He felt that it was a difference of opinion but accepted that the roller brake test proved the point.
Brake adjustment was easy to remedy, said Mitchum, who maintained that the vehicle should not have been presented for testing in that condition.
Referring to the gaps in the inspection records, Smith said the vehicles concerned had either been involved In road accidents or had been untaxed and out of use. Fie accepted that there were no records to support this claim and said that in future a note would be kept when a vehicle was out of service.
The TC heard that Smith had bought the company. which held a licence for seven vehicles, just over two years ago; until May there had been no prohibitions. The business expanded considerably between August and December last year; during that period he had prioritised on other things but since the meeting with the vehicle examiner he had taken all his su estions on board.
Profits were ploughed back into the company, said Smith. They were buying two new vehicles, one of which was due for delivery next March, and two of the firm's smaller vehicles were being replaced with a larger one.
Taking no action, the TC said that any S-marked prohibition [showing a significant maintenance failure] was serious, but the company's history was generally good. The poor spell seemed to have coincided with the expansion and Smith had clearly "taken his eye off the ball".
"I am fairly confident you are a company of good repute and I don't expect to see you again," he told Smith.