Ban in balance for breaches
Page 21
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A Cumbrian operator is waiting to see what action will be taken against his licence after evidence of alleged drivers' hours and tachograph breaches was heard in private at a Trafford disciplinary inquiry.
Penrith-based George W Holliday was called before North Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Patrick Mulvenna at a Trafford disciplinary inquiry because of concern over vehicle maintenance and alleged breaches of the hours and tachograph rules. He holds a licence for 15 vehicles and 15 trailers.
Vehicle examiner Christopher Phair said he had examined two \reticles and three trailers, issuing an immediate prohibition to a trailer for a damaged tyre. Over the past five years, eight prohibitions had been issued, one of which was for a significant maintenance failure.
A number of prohibitions had been issued for inoperative speed limiters and defective brakes, and a prosecution was pending over a vehicle that was alleged to have loose wheelnuts. Phair concluded that the firm's driver defect reporting system was not fully effective.
For Holliday, James Backhouse said the drivers had been shown how to make daily walk-round checks; these were now being monitored. He pointed out that many of the prohibitions were for single items.
Phair said there was no evidence that speed limiters had been deliberately tampered with. Adrian Burbeck, Hoiliday's fitter, said the quality of the inspections carried out by the drivers had definitely improved. It was a while since they had had a defective speed limiter. The drivers had been warned that anyone found to have interfered with a speed limiter would be sacked. The acquisition of a number of new vehicles and trailers had cut the maintenance workload considerably; he felt that a number of the prohibitions were due to trivia.
Holliday acknowledged that in the past the drivers had had insufficient training in walkround checks. He gave an undertaking to carry out roller brake tests every 12 weeks and commented that the maintenance system was now "class one", saying that the firm's pass rate at annual test was 100%.
The Deputy TC is to announce his decision in writing.