News

A Teesside skip operator has escaped with a short O-licence suspension despite appearing at his third public inquiry in three years over maintenance problems. Middlesbrough-based Malcolm Nee, trading as Skipfreight, had been called before North Eastern Deputy Traffic Commissioner Elizabeth Perrett at a Leeds disciplinary inquiry. He holds a national licence for six vehicles.

Nee had appeared at previous disciplinary inquiries in February 2005 and July 2006 as a result the TC suspended  his O-licence for four days. Vehicle examiner Anthony Kingston said that he made an unannounced maintenance investigation in May following the issue of an S-marked delayed prohibition in April. Two vehicles were examined and both were given immediate prohibitions one for loose wheelnuts, the other for defective tyres.

When the latter was presented for clearance it was given a variation and refusal-to-clear notice for brake defects. Since the maintenance investigation one vehicle had been given an immediate prohibition for an under-inflated tyre another was given an immediate prohibition for a brake defect.

Though most of the undertakings given at the previous public inquiries had been kept there were still serious concerns about vehicle maintenance. He had reservations about the standard of inspection and felt that the company's semi-skilled fitter should undertake formal training. Nee said he operated five vehicles at any one time. The vehicles were worked hard and were  checked as they left landfill sites. They also visited construction sites, leading to problems with tyres and wheelnuts.

Three drivers had been dismissed for failing to complete defect reports properly. This was a last resort as drivers were hard to find and a new driver could be worse. He undertook to put the fitter through an intensive training course. The DTC felt that Nee needed a period of reflection - she believed he could manage his current fleet if he put his mind to the job.