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Firm with brake defects has licence authority halved

20th July 2006, Page 33
20th July 2006
Page 33
Page 33, 20th July 2006 — Firm with brake defects has licence authority halved
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Poor-quality Greek roads are blamed for the vehicles' wear and tear".

AN INTERNATIONAL operator with 11 prohibitions in five years has had its licence authority halved and been told its vehicles must undergo a Vosa inspection before they can be used again. Most of the prohibitions were for brake defects, which the firm blamed on the poor quality of Greek roads.

Western Traffic Commissioner Philip Brown cut the licence held by Gloucestershire-based Kostas Karapetsas from four vehicles and four trailers to two vehicles and two trailers. He suspended the firm's licence for 28 days and thereafter until vehicles are specified on the licence.

Air leak

Vehicle examiner Arnold Souter told a Bristol public inquiry that in September a colleague had carried out a maintenance investigation following a significant prohibition in Sussex and a poor failure rate at annual test. A delayed prohibition for an air leak was issued for one vehicle and this annoyed Karapetsas who said there was no defect. He told the examiner he did not care what he did as he could go and operate from Greece.

There was no evidence of preventive maintenance inspections or a driver defectreporting system.The maintenance contractor said he had not carried out any inspections for over a year.Three immediate and eight delayed prohibitions had been issued to Karapetsas' vehicles and trailers since February 2001. Most of the prohibitions related to brake defects.

Souter subsequently visited Karapetsas and was told he had not operated any vehicles since November 2004.

Karapetsas said he had been bringing in produce from Greece and taking out groupage. He had been subcontracting out the work since 2(04 because it was more profitable. He wanted to retain his licence and operate two vehicles distributing the produce in the UK. and would like to start operating this month.

When the first vehicle examiner visited him. said Karapetsas. the vehicles were out of use and were not taxed or tested, but the examiner insisted he start one up.The inspection records had been destroyed because Karapetsas had thought there was no need to keep them as he intended getting out of the business.

The difficulty, said the TC, was that until Karapetsas stopped operating he had a bad history in relation to brakes. Karapetsas replied that a lot of the defects were due to wear and tear. Greece was a long way and the roads were not the best."If the vehicles had not been roadworthy they would never have come back," he said.

No confidence The Tc decided that at the moment he could not be confident Karapetsas was able to comply with the 0-licensing requirements. The firm needed to satisfy Vosa that it could operate in accordance with the rules. •


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