Haulier put public safety at risk
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• A Bournemouth operator lost his licence after Western Deputy Traffic Commissioner Lester Madre]] concluded that public safety was at risk if he was allowed to continue.
David Power, trading as A2B Rubbish, of Bournemouth, appeared before the Deputy Commissioner at a Southampton disciplinary inquiry. He held a licence for two vehicles and one trailer.
Vehicle examiner Christopher Lord said in May 1996 the vehicle Power owned then failed its annual test on 10 items. When the vehicle was presented for clearance the test was aborted as the parking brake was locked on. A delayed prohibition was issued
to the vehicle in June and clearance was subsequently refused.
He inspected the vehicle in September and issued an immediate prohibition. After repairs had been carried out to the vehicle Power had refused to take it to test station for clearance, saying that he could not afford to, said Lord. Power had told him he felt that he was being victimised because he was a one-vehicle operator.
Power stated he had said he was not prepared to pay £32 for a full test, and take a morning off work, when it was a matter of repairing the lights.
Traffic examiner Geoffrey Salt said enquiries in February revealed that the prohibition was still in force. When interviewed, Power said the engine had blown up seven days after the prohibi
tion was imposed and the vehicle was scrapped. He had said that he had acquired a replacement vehicle in October.
That vehicle was stopped in a roadside check in March and was given an immediate prohibition for two defective tyres, said Salt. No tachograph was fitted and a licence identity disc belonging to a different vehicle was displayed.
Power said that it was not his intention to run around in a dangerous vehicle and arrangements had now been made with a commercial garage. He admitted the vehicle he was now running had not been specified on his licence.
Madrell said the licence had been granted less than two years ago and he considered there was too much risk to public safety if Power was allowed to continue to hold it.