Taxi operator has lessons to learn
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• A former taxi operator who has collected three prohibitions since coming into haulage in the middle of last year has escaped with a formal warning at a Leeds disciplinary inquiry.
Ronald Burton, trading as R Burton Haulage, of Washington, appeared before North Eastern Traffic Commissioner Keith Waterworth because of concern over his maintenance record. Last September he was granted a licence for one vehicle and one trailer.
DM' vehicle examiner Gary Walker said that Burton's vehicle was given a delayed prohibition last July for a significant breakdown in maintenance.
Clearance of a delayed prohibition issued in November was twice refused when further brake defects were found. The vehicle was also given an immediate prohibition during a maintenance investigation in February.
Burton said he was involved with taxis before coming into haulage and was working solely as a subcontractor for EM Transport. He added that as he had no previous experience of haulage, he had been on a steep learning curve. He admitted he had been convicted of operating without a licence, saying his application had taken so long to go through that he needed to go on the road and earn some
money. He had thought that it was alright to start as he had been allocated a licence number.
"I am learning the hard way at the moment," said Burton.
For Burton, Roger Hird said that he did not have a background of driving trucks and was on a steeper learning curve than most new owner-drivers.