Licence lost over illegal trailers
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The use of trailers without authority has led to the revocation of the two-vehicle licence held by Croft, Lincs-based Derek Wilkinson. Eastern Traffic Commissioner Geoffrey Simms has also disqualified Wilkinson, who trades as Roy Wilkinson, from holding an 0-licence for six months.
Senior traffic examiner Malcolm Bentley said that during an unannounced visit in February he had seen a low-loader trailer parked in Wilkinson's operating centre. In July he had seen Wilkinson driving an artic with a tipping trailer carrying muck. The vehicle entered the yard of C86G Concrete, where it was abandoned by Wilkinson, a move he later explained as the result of an urgent call of nature. There was no valid test certificate in force for the trailer, which was not displaying a test plate, a semi-trailer test date disc or a rear number plate.
Bentley made several attempts to interview Wilkinson about the matter, without success, including one occasion when Wilkinson fled from his vehicle as he approached. Evidence was given by two neighbours about the USE of Wilkinson's vehicles and trailers.
Wilkinson said the low-loader was for his own private use, to move a vintage road roller. He had owned the tipping trailer for some time for use on site work. When it was seen in July he had been bed
ding in the brakes in preparation for the annual test, though he conceded that no test had been booked. He added that he had received no payment for the load it was carrying.
Neither of the trailers was currently tested because of the uncertainty about his application to add them to the licence.
Declaring that Wilkinson was unfit to hold a licence, the TO said the low-loader had been seen carrying a tracked digger, and the tipper trailer had been seen loaded on three separate occasions. He concluded its most likely use was commercial and that Wilkinson probably fled from his yard when he recognised Bentley because he feared the consequences of any explanation he might offer for using it.
"In summary Mr Wilkinson has used trailers for the carriage of goods by road without authority," said the TC. "Furthermore, he has used trailers on the public highway when no valid current test certificates were in force. He has failed without reasonable excuse to co-operate with the Vehicle Inspectorate in its legitimate investigations into the use of vehicles and trailers by a licensed operator."