A transport manager forfeited his good repute after failing to ensure a Hampshire firm did not operate seriously defective vehicles.
Western Traffic Area traffic commissioner (TC) Kevin Rooney said a vehicle operated by Fareham-based Claybank Transport Services was also found to be overweight and its driver had committed drivers’ hours offences, including taking a full weekly rest in the vehicle, when it was stopped at a DVSA checkpoint near Winchester.
The trailer had eight serious defects on the braking system and a follow-up investigation found significant shortcomings in the systems put in place by transport manager Jeffrey Keating.
The roadside encounter came two weeks after Keating had ceased to act as transport manager, but in his written decision following a Bristol public inquiry (PI), Rooney considered the failings resulted from his systems and processes.
The transport manager was called to the PI but failed to attend; however, the TC said he was content Keating was aware of proceedings.
Referring to an earlier PI in March 2021, Rooney said: “I made a specific point of outlining my serious concern that [director] Martyn Clark was not recording all his work such that a proper analysis could be made of his driving time and rest periods. That deficiency was never corrected. Again, I find that arises from Mr Keating’s failures. Mr Keating had the opportunity of a public inquiry to address these failings, but has chosen not to take it.”
He disqualified the transport manager until he sat and passed the transport manager CPC again.
