Four-week suspension for significant failures • Maintenance problems have led
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to the one vehicle operated by Fife landscape contractor Ronald Coombe being suspended for four weeks by Scottish Deputy Traffic Commissioner Richard McFarlane.
Coombe, who trades as Quality Landscapes, of Windygates, appeared before the Deputy Commissioner at an Edinburgh public inquiry. He had been warned about his maintenance standards by Traffic Commissioner Michael Betts at a public inquiry in April 1996.
Vehicle examiner John Daley said the vehicle was stopped in a road check in January and given an immediate prohibition marked significant maintenance failure. The defects included two sets of loose wheelnuts, an axle stub bearing which had collapsed, the steering arm was insecure and detachment was imminent, and the load sensing valve was seized. It took three attempts to have the prohibition cleared.
A light goods vehicle belong ing to Coombe was given a delayed prohibition, endorsed S, for three defects, including excessive corrosion of the chassis main members and a deformed steering track rod end, during a roadside check in February, said Daley After the Deputy Commissioner had commented that worn items did not occur overnight, Coombe said he left the mechanical side to his mechanic, who had been with him four-and-a-half years. He accepted there had been severe maintenance problems and said his mechanic had been given a written warning. He had also arranged to have the vehicle checked by his local test station every four weeks.
Daley said the approach to the operating centre was very rough and pot-holed, but Coombe said it had been improved.
Suspending the licence, McFarlane said lessons had unfortunately not been learnt. He warned Coombe that if he appeared at a further public inquiry, the question of licence revocation would loom large.