Token licence cut serves as a warning
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• The overloading of refuse collection vehicles has led to the licence held by Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council being cut from 135 vehicles to 120.
West Midland Traffic Commissioner David Dixon was told that an examination of weighbridge tickets revealed 152 apparent offences. Prosecutions against the council for 43 offences, and against 114 drivers for various offences, had been abandoned for legal reasons, but the Vehicle Inspectorate said it had no reason to doubt that the vehicles were overloaded.
The TC said that during March 1998 vehicles were being overloaded to a significant extent, but once this problem had been drawn to the council's attention it had put things right. He added that he was mindful of the council's previous good record, the fact that the problems affected only part of the fleet, and the speed with which it tackled the problems. However, he was also mindful of the high standards expected of a public body operating a large fleet, and of the potential dangers of overloading vehicles.
The TC's decision to curtail the licence will have no immediate effect as there are only 90 vehicles in possession. But he said it would remind the council of his displeasure, and warned that if other problems come to light the licence will be in jeopardy.