New TC aims to improve 'appalling' maintenance
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The new Traffic Commissioner in the North-West is pledging to crack down on operators who skimp on vehicle maintenance. Beverley Bell says she Intends to do all she can to improve the appalling maintenance record of operators in her area.
Her comments came when she granted Roy Allan, trading as Brampton Skip Hire, one additional vehicle, rather than the three applied for, and suspended his two-vehicle licence for two days.
Vehicle examiner Andrew Sefton told the TC that he had inspected two vehicles in December, issuing one with an immediate prohibition for a significant maintenance failure.
The wheelnuts on two wheels were visibly loose with a danger of both wheels coming off, and one tyre was deflated. The inspection records were incomplete and showed gaps of up toll weeks between inspections, instead of the promised interval of four weeks. There was no forward planning system or written driver's defect reporting system.
Allan said he had bought into the skip hire business without realising exactly what was required of a goods vehicle operator.
He drove the prohibited vehicle himself and it was entirely his fault he had not spotted the loose wheelnuts. Tyres were constantly being damaged on tips and the wheels were off and on "like yoyos". When he first started he was told by his maintenance contractor not to rely on a torque wrench.
Manufacturers always recommended the use of torque wrenches to tighten wheelnuts, said Sefton. Relaxation of the wheelnuts after a wheel was replaced was the problem and they needed checking soon after.
Allan said that since his tyre fitters were instructed to tighten the wheelnuts as much as possible with an air gun before checking with a torque wrench he had had no problems.
He had changed the firm where they tipped the skips, and now tipped on concrete which avoided tyre damage.
Allan said they had not kept a copy of the licence application form but the frequency of vehicle inspections had been based on distance rather than time. Now he was aware of what was required. Business was expanding and he needed one more vehicle now with another one in 12 months.
The TC required several undertakings from Allan, including his attendance at a new operators' seminar