Third time unlucky
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• Llanharan haulier Victor Lewis had his licence revoked when he appeared at a Cardiff disciplinary inquiry for the third time in three years.
In August 1996 Lewis's licence was cut from six to four vehicles and it was further curtailed to three vehicles last year.
Vehicle examiner John Hill said there were no facilities at the operating centre, which had been turned into
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a public house. He was told Lewis had the use of land opposite, but there was no official agreement.
A vehicle which failed its annual test in November last year was driven away from the test station without the faults being cleared and a prohibition notice was issued, Hill told the inquiry.
In August of this year no vehicles were available for inspection and he understood that Lewis had ceased operating in September. Of the two vehicles that should have been available for inspection, he was told that one had been sold and the other scrapped after being written off in an accident.
Lewis said he had been operating for 27 years but had lost his main contract through competition. However, he intended to come back and he knew that he could get work. He now wanted to operate 7.5tonners in the New Year, saying: "I will get down to it and do it tidy."
Revoking the licence, South Wales Traffic Commissioner David Dixon said calling a halt to the present licence was the only option open to him. He would look carefully at the situation before granting a licence for smaller vehicles.
Over the past three years Lewis's track record had not been good, Dixon added, and that did not give him confidence for the future. Lewis's history did not show him to be a good operator.