Easier to manage with one truck
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OA former lift engineer who used his redundancy money to set up a business carrying waste paper has had his 0-licence authorisation cut from two vehicles to one by the South Eastern LA.
George Purnell, who operates out of Harrow Yard, Abbey Wood, London, told Brigadier Michaei Turner that he had no excuse for three prohibitions issued on his vehicles in 1994 and 1995, or for failing to keep adequate maintenance records.
But he added that he had learned from his mistakes and would not let it happen again. He had also disposed of one of his two trucks and found it easier to manage with a single vehicle, He said: "If it was lifts we were dealing with I wouldn't be here today." Brigadier Turner replied: "If it was lifts we were dealing with I wouldn't be seeing you." He added: 'The main purpose of the 0-licensing system is road safety, and maintenance is an important part of that. It doesn't make any difference for someone whose child is killed by a lorry whether it is from a major company or an owner-operator set up to carry waste paper." But Turner added that Purnell had been honest and open about his mistakes, had already voluntarily cut his fleet and was now keeping maintenance records: this was what stopped him revoking Purnell's licence.