36 prohibitions in five years • A Liverpool container haulage
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company, whose vehicles had attracted 36 prohibition notices since 1993, has had one of its specified vehicles suspended for 14 days by North Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Jack Levin.
Coastline Services, which held a licence for 16 vehicles and 20 trailers, had been called before the Deputy Traffic Commissioner at a Trafford disciplinary inquiry. The company had previously been warned about its maintenance standards at a public inquiry in April 1995.
Vehicle examiner Peter Turner said he examined two vehicles in September and imposed two immediate prohibitions. Over the past five years 20 immediate and 16 delayed prohibitions had been imposed on the company's vehicles and trailers-20 since the previous public inquiry.
Company secretary Derek Ainsworth said in January 1997 they scrapped what was an ageing fleet and leased vehicles from a company at Wrexham, which also carried out the maintenance. The two vehicles had been sent in to the leasing company to be prepared for inspection and then sent to the test station. The contract with that company was cancelled in November 1997 and the vehicles were now leased from John Hardisty & Co.
There had been problems with Coastline's accountants and that was why there was scant financial information, said Ainsworth; they were in the process of changing accountants.
Director Alan Robson said they were currently operating five vehicles. He gave an undertaking to have Road Haulage Association inspections of the vehicles every four months.
Suspending the vehicle, and cutting the authorised trailers to 10, Levin said the company's previous record had been quite dreadful. It was fortunate there had not been a serious accident to date. However, in view of the steps taken, he felt it was safe to allow the company to remain in business.