County council called before IC to explain fleet fault fines
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• by Charles Young
A local authority which runs a driver safety school for people charged with driving offences has been summoned to appear before Traffic Commissioner David Dixon to answer for faults on its own vehicles.
Flintshire County Council. which runs 340 vehicles including vans and refuse trucks, paid 25,000 in fines and costs earlier this year for defects on three vehicles and charges relating to vehicle test certificates and drivers' hours.
Around 21,000 of that was for convictions against the drivers, but all the fines were paid by the council. On 14 April it will have to tell the TC why the faults occurred and what it has done to resolve the situation.
Council chief executive Philip McGreevy says: "We have reviewed the way we manage and operate the reporting and repair of defects, and this is now working effectively. We welcome the opportunity to inform the Commissioner of these measures."
A vehicle maintenance manager has been appointed and staff have had extra training on tachograph procedures and transport law. Vehicle fitters have also been retrained and staff have been told how to identify vehicle problems.
Under the council's driver training scheme, motorists who face court appearances for driving offences are offered the alternative of a two-day training course.
This course has also been criticised, according to local press reports: residents are angry that people who have injured others in road accidents can escape convictions by taking the course, which costs them just 295.