1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194 
A PROHIBITION RATE of nearly one-third over five years at
Page 34
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
its Southampton depot has led to a severe curtailment of the Western Area Traffic licence held by national car transporter Walon. The company claims to be the UK's largest car transporter firm.
The western licence has been cut from 231 vehicles and 231 trailers to 150 vehicles and 150 trailers after a Bristol public inquiry (CM 2 June). The licence was cut to cover just those vehicles the company used.
Western Traffic Commissioner Philip Brown was told that the company had 142 vehicles specified on the licence operating from seven operating centres. Between June 2001 and this February 24 immediate and 19 delayed prohibitions had been issued, representing a prohibition rate of 30% over the last five years.The failure rate at annual test was unacceptable. Shortcomings remained and a prohibition history for brake-related defects and the brake-related problems in the annual test history were of particular concern. Cutting the licence, the TC said that, according to the company, it was the largest transporter of motor vehicles in the UK. It was, therefore, alarming to learn that its management structure was wholly inadequate to ensure compliance with the 0-licensing regime. The totally unacceptable number of prohibitions issued, the poor test history and other evidence demonstrated the company's inability to function effectively.
In coming to his decision, he believed that the company had received a "wake up" call, which he trusted would ensure in the future that it took its responsibilities to 0-licensing seriously and would demonstrate its commitment through ensuring that its vehicles were maintained in a fit and serviceable condition and that proper records were kept.
Finally, the TC asked that enforcement officers from VOSA provide him with a further maintenance report with regard to Walon in six months' time.