Warned over lack of VED
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Maintenance problems and the use of untaxed vehicles have led to the authorisation on the licence held by Backford, Cheshire-based Liters being cut from 23 toll vehicles. The company appeared before North Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Mark Hinchliffe at a Leeds disciplinary inquiry.
Vehicle examiner David Collings said that in the past five years 11 immediate and 13 delayed prohibitions had been imposed, and there had been three refusals to clear prohibitions. Of the 15 vehicles now specified on the licence, 14 failed their annual tests an first presentation, equating to an initial failure rate of 93%. Seven of the failures concerned brakes.
He had carried out a maintenance investigation in September, partially examining 10 vehicles. Two immediate and four delayed prohibitions were issued.
All 10 vehicles were inspected as they came in from the road, and it was noted that three were not taxed. When interviewed, each driver claimed he had brought the matter to the attention of managing director Ron Littler. It turned out that a further five vehicles had been used on the road without valid excise licences. Littler said the company had hit a bit of financial difficulty after a large customer went out of business owing it a lot of money, and it had struggled to pay the tax. All the back duty had since been paid, and all the company's vehicles were now taxed.
He added that he had been horrified by the brake efficiency problems at annual test. He said all the vehicles would be put through brake. smoke and headlamp testing every three months.
Cutting the licence, the Deputy TC warned that if another vehicle were found being used untaxed it would put the company's repute In severe jeopardy.