Licence curtailed after Vosa investigation
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JMC Transport has had its O-licence curtailed after an investigation into vehicle safety and driver standards
By Roger Brown
THE DEPUTY trafic commissioner (DTC) for the East of England has temporarily curtailed the O-licence of Essex-based waste disposal irm JMC Transport, following an investigation into vehicle safety and driver standards at the business.
Following a July public inquiry (PI) in Cambridge, DTC Marcia Davies ordered that the licence held by the business be cut from six to four vehicles for 14 days from 18 July to 31 July.
She also directed that the two vehicles removed from the licence could not be used by any other operator during the period of the curtailment.
In September 2011, Vosa examiners carried out a visit to the operator’s premises on the Purleet Industrial Estate in South Ockendon.
The inspection was ordered as a result of owner Jacqueline McCaul’s involvement in another irm that had its O-licence revoked in November 2010.
A Vosa trafic examiner discovered that McCaul did not have the equipment to properly analyse the digital driving records of her employees.
After analysing the data, the trafic examiner found two drivers had failed, on several occasions, to take the required break after four-and-a-half hours of driving. In one instance, the driver had worked for seven hours and six minutes without taking the 45-minute break.
The examiner also reported to the DTC that periodic checks on driver licences were not carried out and the operator had no forward planning system in place to ensure vehicles were correctly tested and taxed, and that tachograph recording equipment was properly inspected and calibrated.
On the same day, Vosa also conducted an examination of the JMC Transport maintenance facilities.
The report, submitted by one of the agency’s vehicle examiners, recorded that although some vehicles were being given routine safety inspections on time, others had exceeded the agreed deadlines, on occasion by up to four weeks.
The DTC was told that vehicle defects identiied by drivers were not rectiied by the operator and that the MoT pass rate was unsatisfactory.
After hearing evidence from McCaul – who is also the nominated transport manager for JMC Transport – the DTC concluded that the good repute of the business had been tarnished, though not lost completely, as a result of the examiners’ indings.
She also gave the business 14 days to submit inancial documentation.
The DTC also attached four undertakings to McCaul’s licence, committing the business to nominate a new transport manager by the end of July, undertake random audits of drivers each week, arrange training for all existing and new drivers and provide further inancial evidence in six months.
Stick to deadlines
In this case, some vehicles were being given routine safety inspections on time, while others had exceeded the agreed deadlines – by up to four weeks on occasion.