Lowley licence revoked again
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alp licence revoked
haulier had his for the second time when he appeared before North Eastern Deputy Traffic Commissioner Brian Horner at a Leeds disciplinary inquiry.
Kenneth Lowley, trading as K Lowley Haulage, of Gateshead, held a licence for 12 vehicles. At a public inquiry in 1992 his licence was revoked because of difficulties over maintenance and a fresh licence was issued. He was also warned about maintenance following a meeting with the Traffic Area Clerk in July 1994.
Vehicle examiner John Hughes said he carried out a maintenance investigation in March because of the prohibition history. He imposed immediate prohibitions on both vehicles he examined. A third received immediate prohibition in March for two loose wheelnuts. Eight immediate and three delayed prohibitions had been issued over the past five years; four prohibitions had been issued since the warning in July and there was a 100% initial failure rate at annual test.
Lowley said he had sold six of the vehicles. A vehicle given an immediate prohibition for a loose ball joint had been in the yard waiting to be serviced; the vehicle with the loose wheelnuts had been off the road for three years.
"I'm here because I hold the licence," said Lowley. The DTC had commented that Lowley was responsible for the state of his vehicles and Lowley said: "The fitter comes to me and says he has done the repairs. I'm only taking the backwash for someone else." Horner replied that a similar situation had led to the last public inquiry and the warning last July. Lowley had said exactly the same thing in 1992.
Lowley said he had changed the fitter since 1992. "It is ridiculous that I can lose my livelihood through someone else," he said. "I can't do anything about it—I'm sick of telling him."
After Horner had said he couldn't condone unsafe operation, Lowley said that he had never had an accident in his life. He had cut the fleet to six vehicles which was a big difference from operating 12 and he asked that he be allowed to continue with six to see how he got on.