Truck suspended after prohibitions
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• A firm of North Wales building contractors which collected three prohibition notices in three months, has bad one of its vehicles suspended for two weeks.
Wrexham-based Carrington & Rowley appeared before North Western Traffic Commissioner Keith Waterworth at a Trafford disciplinary inquiry. The firm has a licence for four vehicles.
Vehicle examiner Philip Carson said he carried out a maintenance investigation in December following two delayed prohibitions issued during a roadside check in October. He examined one vehicle, which was in a poor state, and imposed an immediate prohibition.
The driver's seat was broken away from the floor on the offside and the driver's step on the offside front wing was insecure and likely to cause injury to anyone using it.
The condition of all three vehicles examined painted a dismal picture with faults that would have been obvious to the driver. The TC pointed out that licence holders were required to demonstrate professional standards.
Partner Peter Carrington said they had been badly let down by their maintenance contractor in the latter months of 1997 and had now entered an agreement with a new contractor. The firm had a turnover of £.500,000 and last year had spent £22,840 on maintenance. The new contractor had brought the vehicles up to scratch.
Waterworth said he had concerns over finance as there were occasions when the overdraft was exceeded.
He required confirmation that the overdraft facility would be increased from £10,000 to £15,000 within 14 days. Carson said he felt that the new contractor and the system now in place would resolve the situation.
Waterworth said it was clear that in the past the firm had met the required standards. However, them were missing records and no driver defect reporting system. He felt that a minor disciplinary penalty was justified_