Owner-driver issued with warning on maintenance
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A Dudley ownerdriver called to a Birmingham disci plinary inquiry over maintenance told West Midland Traffic Commissioner David Dixon that be had been ripped off by his maintenance contractor. Satnam Singh escaped with a formal warning.
Vehicle examiner Richard Dixon told the IC that in June a vehicle belonging to Singh failed virtually every section of its annual test, resulting in an immediate prohibition. He inspected Singh's vehicle in September and imposed an immediate prohibition for a significant maintenance failure after he found a seriously defective tyre which should have been detected.
Other defects were listed on an advisory notice, some of which should have been picked up and rectified. The thing that concerned him most was that Singh had been given notice of his visit.
Through an interpreter, Singh said the vehicle was inspected every six weeks by a commercial garage which was instructed to carry out what
ever work was necessary. He had paid some £7,000 for maintenance work and felt that he had been paying for work which had not been carried out He had taken out a new maintenance contract with another garage, as he fett to an extent he had been ripped off.
Singh did not dispute that the defeave tyre had indicated neglect on his part, but he had since had five brand new tyres fitted. He now had a driver defect reporting system and a forward planner. There were two vehicles in possession and he planned to recruit a driver for the second vehicle.
Pointing out that it was Singh's responsibility to see that his vehicles were in good condition, the TO said Singh appeared keen to do the right thing. Indicating that he would ask the Vehicle Inspectorate to visit Singh again in about six months, the IC warned that he expected to receive a good report.