An operator who aroused suspicions after deciding at the last minute not to turn into a site where a DVSA vehicle was parked, has been disqualified for five years.
Matthew Taylor, who ran MJT Grab in Nuneaton, was seen by a traffic examiner in April 2019 in his HGV indicating to turn, but had then continued driving down the road after spotting the DVSA.
In a written report the traffic examiner said a man was then seen walking away from the HGV.
The same man later returned to the lorry and identified himself as Taylor, but stated he did not know who had been driving the vehicle.
Taylor did not have the driving entitlement to drive the lorry and it was declared SORN and so was not taxed.
The examiner said the vehicle was also displaying a disc belonging to another operator, but had been removed from that operator’s licence the previous year and was not specified on Taylor’s O-licence.
In addition, there was no tacho chart in the vehicle’s unit.
Taylor did not respond to a subsequent DVSA request to produce maintenance and drivers’ hours records and failed to respond to an invitation to interview.
He also failed to attend the Cambridge PI.
In a written decision, TC Nicholas Denton said Taylor’s lorry was in a lamentable state when it was encountered by the DVSA:
“A road spring leaf was insecure and likely to fall from the vehicle; the nearside outer tyre was of a different size from its inner twin; the nearside rear inner tyre was worn beyond the legal limit and was also seriously under-inflated,” he said.
The TC said the vehicle was untaxed and he was satisfied it was being driven illegally by Taylor, as the “DVSA saw one man walking away from the vehicle and this man later returned and proved to be Mr Taylor.”
TC Denton said there was nothing to be put on the positive side of the balance and the operator deserved to be put out of business.
As a result, he revoked the O-licence for two HGVs immediately and added that due to the seriousness of the case disqualifying Taylor for five years was proportionate and appropriate.
