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Farmer gets maintenance warning
Page 19
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A Cumbrian farmer whose firm's one vehicle was found to have serious brake defects was told by the North Western Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell that if he had been a professional haulier she would probably have taken his licence off him.
Instead, she adjourned consideration of disciplinary action for six months to give him an opportunity to put things right.
Grange over Sands-based D Latham, which held a restricted licence for one vehicle, had been called before the TO at a Trafford disciplinary inquiry.
Vehicle examiner Brian Hayhurst said that an immediate prohibition had been imposed On the vehicle for a series of braking defects. Its condition was so bad that it was not allowed to leave the test station.
He had explained to director John Latham, and his son Paul who undertook the maintenance, that the vehicle still needed to be inspected regularly even when parked for long periods on the farm.
John Latham said that the vehicle was used for moving cattle to and from local markets. The vehicle had been parked up for a long period as they could not move cattle because of the foot and mouth epidemic.
He had taken the vehicle to the test station to see what was wrong with it before going backer the road.
In reply to the IC, he said that the vehicle was currently at his son's garage as it was due an inspection. He did not know when it would be inspected as he was not currently using the vehicle and he had just told his son to send it back when it was ready He had bought a copy of the booklet "Maintaining Roadworthiness" but he admitted not having read it.
Adjourning the hearing, the TO said that it was clear that Latham had not got his house in order yet. As the firm was a restricted licence holder she would give Latham one opportunity of getting it right. She understood the difficulties farmers had had, particularly in Cumbria.