BR'" Criticism of standards
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The spot check record was poorer than the national average, as was the initial failure rate at annual test
1 • Continuing maintenance problems have led to the authorisation on the licence held by R C Robinson Ltd, of Hatfield, being cut from 34 vehicles and 37 trailers to 21 vehicles and 16 trailers.
DOT vehicle examiner Andy Souter told a Cambridge disciplinary inquiry that since a public inquiry in April 1996, seven immediate and seven delayed prohibitions and four variation notices had been issued to the company's vehicles. In the past five years a total of 55 immediate and 37 delayed prohibitions had been issued, 14 of which were marked as showing a significant maintenance fail ure.
Though six vehicles and six trailers inspected in January and March were satisfactory, the spot check record was poorer than the national average, as was the initial failure rate at annual test, he said.
Managing director Richard Robinson said that the vehicles carried abnormal loads arid were subjected to rough treatment on building sites. Many of the defects had been picked up during operation and the relatively poor annual test results could have been down to the workshop manager, whose standards had not been high enough and who had recently left, he added.
Cutting the licence, Eastern TC Brigadier Compton Boyd said that even allowing for the company's special problems, the issue of at least 100 prohibitions and variations in the past five years was an indictment of its standards.
He added that despite the previous public inquiry, the standards required to maintain properly 34 vehicles and 37 trailers had not been reached.
The significant steps taken to improve matters were sufficient to allow him to step back from revoking or suspending the licence.