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Appleton loses licence
Page 20
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• D E Appleton (Haulage) of Formby, Lanes was said to have failed to keep its vehicles in a fit and serviceable condition, when North Western Deputy Licensing Authority Kenneth Birchall revoked the company's licence for 30 vehicles and 26 trailers.
Vehicle examiner Eric Bober told a disciplinary inquiry about the imposition of 13 immediate and 12 delayed prohibitions since a previous public inquiry in February 1988. Variation notices were issued to seven vehicles after additional defects were found when the vehicles were presented for clearance.
Managing director Douglas Appleton said 11 vehicles and 12 trailers were specified. A fleet engineer had been appointed and a number of the maintenance staff changed.
Questioned by the DLA, Appleton said a conviction for making a false declaration in order to obtain insurance arose when the form was completed by the company secretary. He was aware that the form had been completed but had not seen it. Asked about convictions for 19 offences of using a vehicle without insurance and 10 offences of producing an insurance certificate with intent to deceive, Appleton said the vehicles had been used on the docks. The company was told by the dock authority that the contractor provided all the vehicles with third party insurance so it need not insure them. To move the vehicles from the docks it used trade plates.
When the company's vehicles were stopped by the police the company produced its trade plate policy. The company was advised to plead guilty because it was necessary to have the vehicles insured when they entered and left the docks and they were not covered by the trade plates policy. The company's insurers agreed to continue to insure the vehicles after it obtained confirmation of what it had originally been told by the dock authority.
The DLA accepted that there had been confusion. The vehicles had operated on the highway but the company had thought that everything was in order. Revoking the licence, Birchall said the company's past record required serious action to be taken. Undertakings about maintenance had been accepted in February 1988. However, it was obvious that maintenance had been completely lacking. He had no assurance that things were going to improve. The company had failed and he would be failing if he did not take severe action.