Revocation for lack of maintenance standards
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THE PARTNERS at livestock haulier W Richardson and Sons – who failed to attend a public inquiry into maintenance standards at the business – have had their O-licence revoked.
At an October public inquiry in Warrington, Beverley Bell, traffic commissioner (TC) for the North West of England, said that there had been “serious maintenance failings” at the Kendal-based business, authorised for one vehicle since 1974. TC Bell looked at an investigation conducted by a Vosa examiner in April, which found: • only one routine safety inspection record was available for the partnership’s vehicle over 15 months; • daily defect reports were not available for inspection, and a vehicle prohibition had been issued to the truck in February for a defective exhaust; • the partnership had been convicted in May 2011 of using its vehicle without a valid MoT.
During an inspection in February 2011, its test certificate was found to have expired in August 2010.
Bell said: “If the operator had produced its maintenance records to me, I would have looked at those and come to a conclusion. [However], the operator has chosen not to produce those records.
“I have to be robust in my regulation of the CV industry. It is right that this particular O-licence should come to an end.”
Keep the TC happy
W Richardson and Sons failed to satisfy the TC that a robust maintenance regime was in place at the business.