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End of road for removals firm
Page 35
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A series of maintenance problems leads a DTC to brand Safe Hands
Removals company a "threat to road safe-y" and revoke its licence.
THE USE of unauthorised vehicles and a string of maintenance problems have led to a removals firm having its licence revoked until it can recover its good repute.
Safe Hands Removals of Oldham admitted it had been operating vehicles illegally since early last year, but its director, Stephen Holt, said he had been responding to customer need.
He claimed to be unaware that he had to seek additional authorisation.
Holt was disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence in any Traffic Area when he appeared at a two-day Public Inquiry before North-Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Patrick Mulvenna.
Holt held a licence for four vehicles and had been seeking an increase to 10 vehicles.
On the first day of the PI, vehicle examiner Michael Bale reported that three immediate prohibitions (two of which were S-marked, indicating a serious lapse in maintenance) and four delayed prohibitions had been imposed on Holt's vehicles. In January 2005 he had carried out a maintenance investigation, issuing advisory notices to two vehicles.
Bale concluded that the standard of planned maintenance inspections, driver defect recording and reports needed to be improved, but he did not consider that the problems were insurmountable.
The DTC adjourned the proceedings for a further maintenance review.
When the hearing resumed Bale said that he had checked five vehicles, issuing one delayed prohibition notice and three advisory notices. There were still shortcomings in the maintenance systems and there was no overall improvement in the arrangements.
Traffic examiner Steven McKay said an investigation had revealed a number of drivers' hours offences and that Holt was operating more vehicles than he was licensed for.
Legal requirements Holt was doing his best to comply with maintenance requirements, but was also doing some driving. He admitted that his commitment to hard work and his customers had overtaken the legal requirements. Ruling that Holt had lost his repute.the DTC said he had shown scant regard to the management of his maintenance arrangements. Holt had, for commercial purposes, knowingly used vehicles unauthorised by his licence.The DTC could see no reasonable prospect that Holt would change his ways.
The effect of Holt's failings was that vehicles continued to be operated in an unroadworthy condition and there was a serious risk that laws governing the use of vehicles would not be observed, including drivers' hours regulations. The continued operation of the licence would pose a serious threat to road safety. •