Poor maintenance leads to cut
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• Manchesterbased Desmond Armstrong, trad ing as Armstrong Building Contractors, has had his licence cut by two years and had it restricted it to three vehicles and one trailer.
North Western Traffic Commissioner Martin Albu said no action had been taken over maintenance after a visit from a vehicle examiner. Steps were taken only after Armstrong was called to a public inquiry when he disposed of two vehicles and the issued drivers' defect reporting books.
DOT vehicle examiner Peter Holse said he visited Armstrong in January after five prohibitions were issued against the company in a year. Inspection records stopped in March 1992 and only started again after his visit. In March a maintenance investigation on three vehicles led to one being given an immediate prohibition. There was no evidence of a driver defect reporting system. The fitter also maintained 21 pieces of plant; not enough time was spent on the road vehicles.
For Armstrong, transport consultant Gordon Hadfield said a transport manager had been appointed and a maintenance system was being installed. The fleet had been cut from five vehicles to three and an apprentice fitter would be employed.
Conceding that Armstrong had been convicted of overloading offences, Hadfield said Lancashire County Council prosecuted Armstrong on weight tickets which had never been issued to the driver. On landfill sites drivers had been driving over the weighbridge, getting the thumbs up, and then tipping. Armstrong and the drivers had never been advised about the offences, so nothing was or could have been done about it.
Albu said further action would be taken if the vehicles were found to be in an unsatisfactory condition on the road.