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Weighbridge was 'faulty', claims firm
Page 22
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Martini Scaffolding has lodged an appeal over its Licence revocation and disqualification.
SCAFFOLDING business Martini Scaffolding is appealing to the Transport Tribunal against the revocation of its licence and the company's disqualification from holding an 0-licence for a six-month period.
The South Croydon-based firm, wh ich held a three-vehicle licence, had been called before South Eastern & Metropolitan Deputy Commissioner John Baker due to concerns over its maintenance record. the use of an unauthorised operating centre and convictions for overloading (`Scaffold firm appeals DTC's ruling', CM 30 July).
In December 2004, the company's licence was suspended for 28 days because of its maintenance record and a number of convictions. The DTC said that in September 2005 the company was fined £350 after a vehicle was found to be overweight by 77% on the second axle and 62% on the gross weight.
In November 2008, a vehicle was inspected and weighed. The permitted weight of the first axle was exceeded by 13.82%; on the second axle by 35.4%; and the gross weight by 42.06%.
Five of six wheelnuts were loose on one wheel, and there was a fractured anti-roll bar mounting: a lower anti-roll bar mounting was broken; a headlamp lens was broken; and spray suppression equipment missing. An immediate 'S'marked prohibition was issued.
Evidence was given by a vehicle examiner that he had been unable to carry out a fleet inspection, and the firm had a failure rate of 67% at annual test against a national average of 29%.
Martini director, Paul Phillips, said that the vehicle was not overloaded in November 2008, He considered that the weighbridge used must have been at fault. A second vehicle, already partially laden, was taken to the site of the weighbridge to offload the alleged excess material. A combination of the cargo of(loaded from the original vehicle, together with the original load on the second would have exceeded the permitted weight for the second vehicle, Despite that, the second vehicle was allowed to leave the site of the weighbridge after being weighed.
The driver had seen the vehicle examiner hitting the wheel with a bar or torque wrench of some sort, and in his view that must have caused the nuts to come loose.
He disagreed that the broken and fractured roll bar mountings were likely to affect the steering and cause any danger. He maintained that spray suppression units were not required for a vehicle of that size.
He had used the authorised operating centre until March 2009 when the lease for those premises expired, and since then had been operating from Keston, in nearby Kent.
The DTC said that at the last public inquiry the firm had been "perilously closeto having its licence revoked.