Late accounts could cost you your licence
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• by Mike Jewell The North Western Traffic Commissioner has warned that she will not hesitate to revoke the licences of operators who fail to submit financial information within the required time limits.
IC Beverley Bell says: "It is becoming too common a practice for operators to fail, singularly and repeatedly, to produce financial accounts within the required period."
However. she has decided not to make an example of Dukinfield-based Hyde Industrial Holdings (HIH) after accepting that the company had submitted accounts late because of a breakdown in communication.
HIH had been called before the IC because of concerns over its maintenance arrangements and a series of convictions for drivers' hours and tachograph offences, Vehicle Examiner David Drabble said that during a maintenance investigation in March only one inspection sheet was produced for one vehicle at two of the company's existing operating centres.
There was no forward planner or driver defect reporting system in use, he added. Maintenance was spread over four operating centres with no apparent co-ordination. He had examined two vehicles and issued two defect notices. However, the only prohibition issued had been in February 1998.
HIH group quality director Matthew Murray said that previously the licence had been looked after by Hyde Industrial Services.
It was conceded that that company had not complied with the Operator Licensing requirements; Murray told the IC that he had now taken personal responsibility for all 0-licensing matters.
The vehicles were operated by any one of ▪ the 28 companies within the group. The convictions related to a driver ▪ fairing to return tachograph charts within 21 days and failing to take adequate weekly rest. Murray believed the problems had been caused by a lack of a focal point for 0-licensing matters and said this had been rectified by his appointment. Taking no action other than to issue a formal warning, the IC commented that it was refreshing to see that action had been taken to put matters right before the company had been called to a public inquiry.