Warnings 'come in ones'
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• Glasgow haulier Alexander Stevenson has been warned about the maintenance of his vehicles by Scottish Licensing Authority Keith Waterworth.
The LA told Stevenson, who holds an international licence for six vehicles and 10 trailers, that his warnings "come in ones" and that Stevenson would be on a losing wicket if he appeared before him again.
He said Stevenson had not got away with it; a warning was the first step on a slippery slope that could lead to action being taken against the licence.
A Glasgow public inquiry was told that one delayed and two immediate prohibitions, endorsed "neglect", had been imposed on Stevenson's vehicles since 1989. The trailer of an artic stopped in Nottinghamshire had been in a dangerous condition and Stevenson had been reported for possible pros
lar
ecution. Maintenance records for the past 15 months could not be produced.
Roderick McKenzie, for Stevenson, said that all the maintenance records had been stolen during a break-in last October but Waterworth commented that he would look forward to hearing why someone took it upon themselves to steal maintenance records. It was somewhat eccentric. Stevenson said that a number of items had been stolen, including the box in which the records were kept.
He did not own any trailers: he hired them or hauled customers' trailers. He had been given an absolute discharge when prosecuted in connection with the condition of the trailer in Nottinghamshire.
There had been a further prohibition relating to a trailer in April. The trailer had been picked up from a customer and the driver had thought that it was legal. But there was a flat spot on a tyre and a bit of rust on the main frame. The prohibition made it seem worse than it was. Stevenson said he did everything possible to keep his vehicles in a fit and serviceable condition.
Waterworth said he took account of the fact that this was the first time Stevenson had been called to public inquiry and he had not been warned previously.