
A Dorset scaffolding operator that attempted to save money by carrying out vehicle inspections himself despite having no relevant qualifications has been disqualified by the traffic commissioner.
Lloyd Butt, sole director of Wimbourne-based Butt, said he began inspecting his trucks when work started to dry up.
He alleged that his maintenance provider had lost money when a customer folded and was now either inflating invoices or generating defects that were not present in order to recoup its losses.
However, West of England TC Kevin Rooney did not believe him. He highlighted how one of Butt’s HGVs was inspected by the director in March 2023 with no defects identified and signed off as roadworthy.
Two months later his maintenance provider carried out a pre-MOT inspection and identified 27 defects, with a repair bill that came to £5,429.
On another occasion, a different maintenance provider found 20 defects requiring rectification, but it appeared Butt took the truck away to repair himself.
There was no evidence to suggest that the repairs were done.
Rooney said: “This difference in inspection outcome, taken with the lack of any relevant qualification and the lack of even the most basic inspection facilities cause me to discount entirely the inspections conducted by Mr Butt as nothing more than a paper exercise.”
The TC said he thought Butt seemed to be an honest individual and the corner cutting on preventative maintenance inspections had been done to save money – because there was little money in the business: “That is understandable whilst still totally unacceptable,” he added.
Rooney also pointed out the number of times over the last decade the DVSA and the TC’s office had intervened to support the business, but they had all been met with continuing non-compliance.
“I can only conclude that I cannot trust this operator to be compliant in the future.
“I must consider a period of disqualification. In imposing a disqualification, I acknowledge that it will likely have the effect of ending his scaffolding business.
“If that is the case, then so be it. Public safety must come first and the operation is currently dangerous.”
The licence was revoked and Butt was disqualified for 12 months