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Consideration of disciplinary action against York-based SA Bell has been
Page 15
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adjourned pending a reappraisal of its maintenance systems in the next six months. The company had been called before North Eastern Deputy Traffic Commissioner Patrick Mulvenna at a Leeds disciplinary inquiry.
Vehicle examiner Peter Smith said it had appeared at public inquiries in April 1997 and March 2000, Seven prohibitions had been issued since December 1999; most of them in the first quarter of 2000.
He examined four vehicles and 12 trailers in September, issuing one delayed prohibition for a fuel leak. Sixteen of the 18 vehicles being operated were newly acquired. Two undertakings given at the last public inquiry that all vehicles would have more frequent maintenance checks had not been fulfilled, he reported.
Smith agreed that the condition of the fleet had vastly improved since the last public inquiry and that the number of prohibitions had dramatically reduced. He also agreed that the driver defect reporting system was satisfactory and appeared to be working.
Director Peter Bell said that one of the prohibitions had been imposed on a vehicle hired in from main agents and the company felt hard done by. They had been unable to find any defect on another vehicle said to have an air leak and the prohibition was cleared without any work being done to that vehicle.
Smith said that apart from the failure to honour the two undertakings given at the last public inquiry, everything was now satisfactory.
Director William Chambers said they had previously only been recording audit checks when the workshop manager found a defect. Since the vehicle examiner's visits they had kept records of all the audit checks carried out.
The DTC said that it appeared that the company had systems in place, though not the ones it had promised to put into operation. Given the improvements that had taken place, he adjourned the hearing and asked the vehicle examiner to carry out a reappraisal within the next six months.
The aim of the 0-licensing system was to ensure that vehicles were roadworthy, he added, and the overwhelming evidence was that they were. If the report was favourable he would not take any action. But if it was negative he would, as the company had already received a final warning at the last public inquiry.