Final warning on prohibitions
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• An owner-driver received a formal warning after collecting four prohibition notices in 12 months.
North Western Traffic Commissioner Keith Waterworth also imposed a condition that Thomas Smith, of Workington, Cumbria, could operate only one vehicle and one trailer at any one time.
Smith, who was told that he needed to fully understand his responsibilities, holds a licence for two vehicles and two trailers, with one vehicle and one trailer specified.
Senior vehicle examiner Dennis Smith said the condition of a vehicle and trailer checked in July had been satisfactory but the relevant safety inspection records were unavailable because they were said to be with the operator's accountant.
Since the licence was granted in July 1997 one delayed and three immediate prohibitions had been imposed on Smith's vehicles, one of which was endorsed as showing a significant maintenance failure.
The operator told the Commissioner that other ownerdrivers had told him it was not necessary to keep records of daily checks. Waterworth warned him against listening to anecdotes and urged him to take advice from the VI.
The examiner said that the inspection records, which had now been produced, had not been properly completed.
After Thomas Smith had said he was not happy with his maintenance contractor, Waterworth said the licence holder had to take final responsibility