A catalogue of safety infringements has led to Norfolk-based recycling company Glazewing having its o-licence revoked.
Among the faults found during traffic examiner investigations were unsatisfactory driver defect reporting, missing tachograph sheets and evidence that drivers had continued to drive without tacho sheets in place. The traffic examiner also found that 24 vehicles were being operated from a site only authorised for 14.
Deputy traffic commissioner (TC) Miles Dorrington, who examined all the evidence at a recent public inquiry, also noted that the company had attracted five fixed penalty notices for vehicles being driven in a dangerous condition. Dorrington criticised the company's lack of driver discipline.
He said in his written decision: “I was unimpressed by the level of disciplinary action applied to drivers. Not only were no changes made to the disciplinary procedure within Glazewing …but the three drivers from this operator that I saw in a separate public inquiry into a separate driver conduct hearing for deliberately creating false records were also not dismissed.”
The firm, based at West Dereham, will lose its licence on 31 December and until then will be allowed to operate without being of good repute and without professional competence.
Both its old transport managers, Jonathan and Simon Miles, have lost their good repute and are disqualified with immediate effect until at least 30 September 2019.
However, Dorrington added that “the door is not shut for this operator to apply for a new operator’s licence”. He said that it would need to overcome the issues raised in his decision and “demonstrate some tangible evidence that it could be compliant” if a new licence were to be granted.
It is understood that in the meantime Glazewing, which employs more than 80 staff, intends to continue operating by appointing another transport manager and hiring replacement haulage.
