Warned for maintenance
Page 18
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• John and Thomas Keegan, trading as BJ Metals, of Kendal, received a serious warning from North Western Deputy Licensing Authority Kenneth Birchall over the maintenance of their vehicles when they appeared at a disciplinary inquiry.
The firm holds a licence for eight vehicles and one trailer, but evidence was given that it was currently operating three vehicles.
Department of Transport vehicle examiner Maurice Hird said that the general condition of the vehicles was found to be poor. In July two licensed vehicles inspected received a delayed prohibition and two advisory defect notices.
Two vehicles not on the operator's licence were given immediate prohibitions. In September 1990 two licensed vehicles and two non-licensed vehicles were inspected and all four vehicles were issued with immediate prohibitions. A fifth vehicle was not inspected as it had been issued with a prohibition in a spotcheck four days previously.
The DLA pointed out that the immediate prohibitions involved tyre defects. John Backhouse, for the firm, explained that they were scrap metal merchants using skip loaders and drop-sided vehicles. The nature of the work meant that tyres were likely to be damaged.
Maintenance records had gone missing in a burglary, said Backhouse. The inspection of the licensed vehicles had now been contracted out.
John Keegan said the drivers were instructed to check their vehicles' tyres daily. One driver had been sacked for using his vehicle with a tyre with the cords exposed. Keegan now checked all the tyres.
Birchall recorded a serious warning, but said he accepted there had been changes.