Series of offences leaves haulier sweating
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A Liverpool company has been warned that its 0-licence "Is hang ing by a thread" and it has until the end of November to improve its record.
Aintree-based Grifpack, which holds a licence for seven vehicles and four trailers, had been called before North Western Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell after a number of convictions and concern about its maintenance arrangements.
The company had been con
rioted in November 1998 of using a vehicle without an 0-licence, without a test certificate and with an uncalibrated tachograph. It was convicted of using a vehicle without an 0-licence in February 1999 and again a month later. It was also sent a warning letter after an unsatisfactory maintenance investigation.
Vehicle examiner Peter Turner said that in October he had examined three vehicles and two trailers, Issuing two defect notices. Over the past five years one delayed prohibi
tion had been issued to the company's vehicles, The declared inspection interval was eight weeks but there were large gaps of up to 22 weeks In the records relating to one vehicle. Director Raymond Griffiths said this was because the vehicle was used only locally.
There were no inspection records for the trailers, the forward planning system was not in use and no written driver defect reports could be produced. Griffiths had said the drivers noted defects in their diaries and that the driver of the local vehicle reported defects verbally.
Turner told the commissioner that the company had the will to put things right
Adjourning the proceedings until November after Griffiths had given several undertakings, the commissioner said that, although the vehicles might be in good condition, the paperwork was a disgrace.
Griffiths premised to ensure that fines Imposed by Lincoln magistrates in March would be paid by the end of the month; that all the vehicles would be inspected every six weeks, apart from two vehicles used locally which would be inspected every 10 weeks; that a driver's daily nildefect reporting system would be implemented immediately; and that he would produce test certificates for all the vehicles and a copy of the maintenance agreement by the end of the month.
The commissioner directed that a further maintenance investigation be carried out before the hearing resumed.