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VI and haulier in vendetta row both claim vindication

12th September 2002
Page 12
Page 12, 12th September 2002 — VI and haulier in vendetta row both claim vindication
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Keywords : Simm, Magistrate

• by Domicile Perry A Bedfordshire haulier who claims the Vehicle Inspectorate has pursued a vendetta against him has been given a formal warning at a Public Inquiry.

John Vesper, who runs Clophill-based John Vosper Transport, had been called before Eastern Traffic Commissioner Geoffrey Simms because of maintenance issues and to consider his repute.

The case dates back to an incident late last year when a row broke out at the VI's Leighton Buzzard testing station (CM 20-26 Dec 2001), One of Vesper's trailers ruptured a brake diaphragm during its test and VI officials then refused to allowed it to be moved except on the back of a low loader. Vesper, whose maintenance contractor is only a quarter of a mile from the test station, made a temporary repair to the trailer and drove it off.

Amid allegations of abusive behaviour on Vesper's part the matter then moved to the magistrates' court.

However, Vosper was given a conditional discharge by the court, when the magistrates said it was clear that he had presented no danger to the public by taking the vehicle on the road (CM16-22 May).

Now that Simms has given him nothing more than a fort warning Vosper feels his star has been vindicated: "Ft j shows that the Vehi Inspectorate were totally oul order," he says. "As I pointed to Mr Simms, I'm very puzz why they went to these leng given my record."

A VI spokesman says t Vosper was successfully pro cuted and convicted for driv a vehicle on a prohibition, her the formal warning he receN at the Public Inquiry.

The VI says it hopes that t will act as a deterrent to ott operators who deliberat flout the law.


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