Licences will be revoked if promises broken, warns IC
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North Eastern Deputy Traffic Commissioner Mark Hinchliffe has sent out a clear message to operators—break promises given at a public inquiry and you will lose your licence.
The DTC gave a graphic demonstration of this when he revoked the three-vehicle licence of Huddersfield tipper operator Neil Baldwin at a Leeds disciplinary inquiry. The firm traded as NDB Motors.
Vehicle examiner Michael Mann said that on 15 March he examined the company's only vehicle and imposed an immediate prohibition for a load sensing valve that was seized solid.
An unused defect report book was produced and Mann was informed that the previous defect books had been stolen from the vehicle.
"It's astonishing how often that happens to people who are called up to a public inquiry," commented the DTC.
Maintenance was contracted out to a garage that was not suitable for HGVs as it lacked underneath or undercover inspection facilities for large vehicles. This was despite an undertaking given at a previous public inquiry in March 2000 that there would be such facilities, said Mann.
There was no evidence of roller brake tests being carried out every three months or of a daily nil defect reporting system, which Baldwin had also undertaken to introduce.
Baldwin said that his vehicle had been broken into over the
Christmas and New Year period, but admitted he had not reported the breakinto the police.
He said that from time to time he used garage facilities where there were undercover facilities, but argued that with tippers everything could be got at on hard-standing with the body and cab raised.
Revoking NDB's licence, the DTC said the failure to comply with the undertakings showed a cavalier attitude and a completely irresponsible approach.
"A failure to keep promises given to a Traffic Commissioner at a public inquiry will lead operators losing their licencE stated Mann. He added t he is also considering disqual ing Baldwin from holding 0-licence for a time.