Authorisation cut in half
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• A haulage firm has had its licence authorisation cut after one of its vehicles missed inspection dates, maintenance records went missing, and a prohibition notice was served.
Caerphilly-based GH Baker Transport was warned at a Cardiff disciplinary inquiry that its licence could be revoked if it received a further notice for a significant breach of maintenance.
At a previous public inquiry in February the firm had been given a serious warning about convictions. Vehicle examiner Chris Enear told South Wales Traffic Commissioner David Dixon that the firm had failed to keep an appointment for an urgent inspection in June.
The vehicle was parked 100 yards from the test station and when Enear visited the premises the same day he found it stripped down.
Maintenance records were missing, there was no for ward-planning wallchart and inspections were not carried out at the declared frequency of four weeks.
Vehicle examiner Steve Cook said the problems had arisen at a roadside check when a trailer was given a prohibition notice for a significant maintenance failure concerning loose wheelnuts on two wheels. There was also a slipper bracket fault and chassis cross-member fractures, all of which should have been picked up by the driver's daily check.
It had taken five months for one prohibition to be cleared and the initial pass rate at annual test was poor.
Partner Glen Baker said the firm carried heavy scrap and vehicles were often damaged on site. Maintenance procedures had now been changed and he was confident that these problems would not happen again.
Cutting the company's licence from four vehicles and four trailers to two vehicles and two trailers, the Commissioner said it had been a disturbing case.