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Warning over maintenance
Page 21
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A North Wales firm which had a high number of prohibitions in the three years it has held a licence has escaped with just a formal warning at a Rhyl disciplinary inquiry.
David and Justine Darby, trading as PPS Skip Hire, near Wrexham, were called before the Welsh Traffic Commissioner David Dixon. The IC was also considering an application to move the operating centre to Wrexham and to increase the licence authorisation from two to four vehicles.
Vehicle examiner David Rowlands said that in November he inspected two vehicles, issuing an immediate prohibition and an inspection notice. There were no suitable maintenance facilities, and inspections and maintenance were being carried out on an open area of compacted hardcore by a selfemployed mechanic. In the three years the licence had been in existence, seven vehicles had been inspected, resulting in the issue of one delayed and four Immediate prohibitions.
The self-employed mechanic was enthusiastic and knowledgeable; the main problem was a lack of ade quate facilities, said Rowlands.
David Darby said that they ran a waste transfer station and currently had two skip vehicles and a hook loader in possession. One of the reasons for the increase sought was to cut down on the paperwork involved iii regularly taking one vehicle off the licence arid putting another on. They were also seeking to expand the business.
"Having looked into it, it is cheaper in the long-run to buy new wagons on a service contract," said Darby.
He added that it was also the intention to make use of the RHA's audit service. Though it was only a restricted licence, he hoped to acquire his own CPC within the next six months. lie had also reduced the inspection period to four weeks, and had started to send the vehicles in for voluntary brake checks. He felt confident that, with the changes that had been made, he could maintain the vehicles properly.
Increasing the licence to three vehicles, the IC said that the partners had got off on the wrong foot in regard to maintenance but he acknowledged that they had taken steps to improve matters.