Lack of MoT leads to licence suspension
Page 15
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Advanced Access Platforms has its licence temporarily suspended by TC for London and the South East Nick Denton
By Roger Brown
PLANT HIRE company Advanced Access Platforms is to have its O-licence temporarily suspended after it operated a vehicle without a valid MoT, and failed to present vehicles for routine safety inspections on time.
Following a June public inquiry (PI) in Eastbourne, Nick Denton (pictured), traffic commissioner (TC) for London and the South East, made the order to suspend the firm’s licence for a period of seven consecutive days, before 1 August 2012, after hearing evidence about maintenance failings at the company, based in Sutton, Surrey.
The PI heard that Vosa examiners launched an investigation into the firm’s use of a vehicle without a valid MoT or licence authority.
In January this year a traffic examiner from the agency stopped a vehicle and its driver, who said he was working for Advanced Access Platforms. On further inspection, the examiner found that the vehicle was displaying a licence disc in the name of another business.
The vehicle also did not have a valid annual test certificate, which the examiner found had expired in November 2011.
A representative for the company confirmed to the examiner that it had operated a second vehicle when it was only permitted to run one truck under its licence, and that the failure to present the vehicle for an annual test was a mistake.
Vosa also set up a separate investigation into the firm after one of its vehicle examiners issued a prohibition notice to one of the company’s vehicles in January.
The firm was handed a fixed penalty for the offence, after a tyre tread was found to be below 1mm.
During an inspection of the operator’s maintenance arrangements, the examiner found several shortcomings, including that the business failed to take immediate action after being informed of an illegal tyre on a vehicle.
Records also revealed that vehicles had not been presented for routine safety inspections on time.
After hearing evidence from the company directors at the PI, Denton said: “I have made this decision based on the findings that followed serious breaches committed by the firm, including the use of a vehicle without an MoT and the use of a second vehicle on a regular basis without authority.” But in reaching that conclusion, Denton also acknowledged what the business had done to address the examiners’ findings.
“I give the operator credit for taking immediate steps to rectify the shortcomings by bringing in outside advisers and acting on the recommendations given,” he added.
Advanced Access Platforms also accepted three undertakings, including committing to independent audits of maintenance systems, pre-MoT inspections for vehicles and that director John Cocoran would attend a new operator seminar before 31 October this year.
The TC refused the company’s application to increase its number of authorised vehicles from one to three, but did allow a change in the firm’s operating centre from Croydon to Sutton.
Serious breaches
The TC said that the temporary suspension was as a result of the “serious breaches” committed, but gave the firm credit for taking immediate steps to rectify its shortcomings.