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Oily rag repair leads to a formal warning
Page 34
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A LIVESTOCK haulier who 'repaired' a hole in a fuel tank with a rag has been given a formal warning over his poor maintenance record. The fuel tank incident was an example of shoddy workmanship, said Scottish Traffic Commissioner Joan Aitken at a Kirkwall disciplinary inquiry.
However, Malcolm Sinclair, of Orkney, succeeded in increasing his licence from three to five vehicles at the same hearing because there was evidence that he was now endeavouring to meet his obligations.
The TC was told of an unsatisfactory maintenance investigation in April 2005. One vehicle had been given an immediate prohibition for a defective brake and the fault had not been rectified when the vehicle was produced for prohibition clearance.
Some six-weekly safety inspections had been missed by the maintenance contractor earlier in the year.There was a very high failure rate at annual test and in May a vehicle was given an S-marked prohibition for a serious maintenance failure because a hole in the fuel tank had been repaired with a rag.
Sinclair said there had been ferry problems in the spring and the vehicles only operated on Orkney. There had been problems with the local maintenance contractor. He was thinking of buying a new vehicle next year and the increase in authorisation was being sought to allow for possible expansion to a nearby island and to substitute two smaller vehicles for a larger one in a bid to reduce ferry costs.
The vehicles were now inspected every six weeks by Orkney Motors.Two of the three vehicles had passed their annual test first time round since the maintenance investigation.
The TC commented that there had been some very shoddy workmanship in respect of the hole in the fuel tank. There had been serious deficiencies in the arrangements to keep vehicles and trailers in a fit and serviceable condition.
However, she had decided that to revoke or suspend the licence would be disproportionate as she was satisfied that Sinclair was endeavouring to comply with his obligations. Somewhat hesitantly she would grant the application for an increase in vehicle authorisation.