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 
Company fleet cut pending court case
Page 22
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
DTC cuts company's 0-licence as an interim measure in the interest of road safety before criminal proceedings.
A FIRM FACING prosecution over a road accident in February has had its 0-licence authority cut as an interim measure ahead of criminal proceedings.
The decision over what action to take against the 0-licence held by Stoke-onTrent-based Alsager Contractors has been reserved until after the completion of criminal proceedings, following the accident in Lincolnshire. However, West Midlands Deputy Traffic Commissioner Fiona Harrington has cut the company's 0-licence from 35 vehicles and 35 trailers to 26 vehicles and 26 trailers.
Evidence relating to the road traffic accident in February which sparked a maintenance investigation, was heard in private because of pending prosecutions against both the company and the driver.
Vehicle examiner Adrian Seadon said he undertook a follow-up maintenance investigation in March. Seven vehicles and one trailer were inspected and four delayed prohibitions were issued. The agreed inspection periods of six weeks had not been adhered to, with inspection periods varying between one and 13 weeks. In addition, inspection records were not always completed correctly, and the forward planner was not projected forward for six months.
Since November 2007, four immediate and 16 delayed prohibitions had been issued to the company's vehicles and trailers, two relating to the accident being 'S'-marked. The initial failure rate at annual vehicle test was 53.85%, with a final failure rate of 23.07%. A majority of the fleet was not in a had condition considering their age.
Director and transport manager Stephen 1.1-ilbot said the long periods between inspections were due to the economic downturn, with vehicles spending more time parked up and spare vehicles that did little mileage. Vehicles were now inspected twice be
fore being sent in for test. The firm was constantly updating its fleet, and it was prepared to reduce the period between inspections from six to four weeks.
Also. drivers were accompanied by a mechanic while carrying out their daily walkaround checks.
Managing director George Talbot said the tachograph records of four drivers were analysed by the FTA quarterly. The drivers did not need to infringe the rules with the work they were given. He agreed that analysis sheets showed a number of apparent offences. He undertook to have all the drivers' tachograph records sent out for analysis every month.
Talbot gave an undertaking that detailed instructions would be given to drivers about secure loading, and that daily records would be kept of checks on container loading. He also gave a series of undertakings relating to the firm's vehicle maintenance arrangements.