Illiterate drivers cause problems
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• South Wales Licensing Authority John Mervyn Pugh has granted M&N Plant authority for the 20 additional vehicles it was operating under an interim licence but said that the interim should not have been granted until there had been a proper investigation.
The company had sought the renewal of its licence with an increase in authorisation from 41 to 61 vehicles; the LA had been considering disciplinary action in the light of its maintenance record.
For M&N, Geoffrey Jones said the problems arose after the company had suddenly been asked to take over a large trenching contract in the Bristol area and had to provide 24 gangs with 48 vehicles. The contract specified vehicles not exceeding 7.5 tonnes so it did not need HGV drivers, and as a result up to three quarters of the drivers would use the same vehicle each day.
That, and the fact that some of the drivers could not read or write, led to problems with a daily nil defect reporting system.
Managing director Neville Joseph said the company had undergone a massive expansion in business and had been unable to expand its management at the right speed.
A fleet engineer had been appointed and steps had been taken to put matters right.
Mervyn Pugh said it would be against natural justice to reduce the number of vehicles currently operated because of offences 12 months ago. Though there had been 16 prohibition notices, none had been issued since the grant of the interim licence.