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E2I A Derbyshire
Page 21
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haulier has lost his Operator's Licence and has been disqualified from holding or obtaining one for an indefinite period after a series of offences including operating dangerously defective tippers and running vehicles on paraffin.
In October 2001 Vehicle Examiner Colin Brown imposed immediate prohibitions on two vehicles belonging to Glossopbased Wayne Whitehead, trading as W Whitehead Haulage, following a check of brakes, steering, suspension and wheel nuts. When one of the vehicles was presented for clearance a variation notice was issued for a further 12 defects. Whitehead said he had been let down by his maintenance contractor and the vehicle had been prepared by two of his drivers who were not qualified mechanics. Producing a letter from his maintenance contractor, he said the vehicle had not been used since and he was in dispute with the contractor over its repair.
North Western Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell said the letter stated that the repairs would cost more than the vehicle was worth and that the contractor was scared to think the vehicle had been operated on the road in that condition.
The TO was told that in March Customs officers had also found traces of paraffin in two of the vehicles and a civil penalty of £10,613 had been imposed.
Whitehead also admitted that he had been working from an unauthorised operating centre for 18 months, saying he had forgotten to notify the Traffic Area of the change
Whitehead said that last year everything had got on top of him. The vehicles were getting old, he had had problems obtaining drivers and he had been let down by his maintenance contractor.
However, he had since bought three brand-new vehicles that were maintained by the dealers—one of the new vehicles had been ordered before the vehicle examiner's visit.
Revoking the licence, the TC said Whitehead had lost his repute as a transport manager. She added that it was clear that the use of the paraffin had not been due to financial difficulty but to greed. He had been extremely reckless in operating unsafe vehicles and his conduct as a licence-holder had been nothing short of appalling.
"I would be failing in my public duty if I did not revoke this licence," Bell concluded.