BRIEFS Fleet size restricted NI A Sunderland waste disposal operator
Page 22
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
escaped with a warning about the maintenance of his vehicles, but North Eastern Traffic Commissioner Keith Waterworth refused to grant him the number of additional vehicles on his licence that he had asked for.
Alan Usher, trading as Rocktop Skip Hire Waste Management, appeared before the Commissioner because of concern over his maintenance record after he had applied to increase his licence authorisation from 14 vehicles and three trailers to 24 vehicles and three trailers.
Vehicle examiner Gary Nicholson said that in the past five years two immediate and five delayed prohibitions had been imposed on Usher's vehicles and trailers. During a maintenance investigation in August he had inspected three vehicles and one trailer, imposing one immediate prohibition, one delayed prohibition and four defect notices.
The stated inspection period of four weeks had been exceeded with periods of up to 15 weeks between inspections.
Nicholson pointed out that Usher had been sent a warning letter in July 1996 following the issue of an immediate prohibition. He agreed that all bar one of the prohibitions were single item prohibitions but felt that many of the defects ought to have been picked up by the drivers..
Asked about an air leak, Nicholson said that because of the material carried Usher's vehicles had a vermin problem and it was possible that a rat had chewed through the airline.
Usher said that there was a rodent problem which was constantly being addressed, though he did not necessarily believe that that was what had occurred.
The fitters now carried out a random check on two vehicles each week to ensure that the drivers were carrying out their daily checks properly.
Indicating that he was embarrassed to be called before the TC. Usher said he had thought that they had improved.
For Usher, Roger Hird said the vehicle examiner's criticisms had been positively addressed long before he had been called to the inquiry.
In only granting three of the 10 additional vehicles being sought, Waterworth made it plain that Usher had just scraped by in escaping with a formal warning.