Owner-driver did not contact VI
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A Hackney owner-driver who failed to contact vehicle examiners despite repeated requests to do so has lost his Operator's Licence and has been disqualified from holding a licence for a year.
Mario Mitsi, trading as MM Haulage, was called before Eastern Traffic Commissioner Geoffrey Simms at a Cambridge disciplinary inquiry.
Vehicle examiner Maurice Lecomber said that following Mitsi's appearance at a previous public inquiry in May1997, where maintenance was an issue, there had been an unsatisfactory maintenance investigation in November 1997.
It had not been possible to contact Mitsi since, despite several attempts by two vehicle examiners. His vehicle had failed its annual test on first presentation in July 1997 and July 1998. There was no record of the vehicle having been presented for an annual test this year.
Mitsi said the vehicle had not been used since February as it had not been worthwhile to continue trading.
As he was not operating, he had not thought that it was that important to con tact the Vehicle Inspectorate. The TC commented that because of the annual test results he had wanted the Vito look at the vehicle and Mitsi's maintenance system. However, he had been denied that opportunity because the VI had been unable to get Mitsi to contact them, despite the Traffic Area giving him two telephone numbers and the name of the vehicle examiner.
Mitsi agreed that he had driven the vehicle on the road after the test certificate had expired, adding that he had been taking it to a garage to have the exhaust repaired. He was currently attending a heavy vehicle engineering course at college so he would not have to rely upon garages for everything in the future.
For Mitsi, United Road Transport Union officer Malcolm Williams said he was concerned that if he lost his licence it would affect his future prospects as an owner-driver. Mitsi had misunderstood the necessary requirement to respond to the vehicle examiners and for the present he wished to have the vehicle removed from the licence.
Revoking the licence, Simms said he could not condone the behaviour of an operator who failed to make vehicles and records available to the VI on demand. He certainly would not allow those who sought to do so to be seen to prosper by their actions.