Community Transport for Town and Country had been through ‘difficult times’
Traffic Commissioner (TC) Simon Evans is considering what action to take against Ripley-based Community Transport for Town and Country’s PCV O-Licence after one of its vehicles, operating under a Section 19 permit, lost a pair of road wheels.
The firm, of Derby Road, Marehay, Ripley, with a six-vehicle national licence, had been called before the TC at a Golborne Public Inquiry. The TC was also considering the Transport Manager (TM) repute of Patrick Dawson, a trustee of the charity and its Chief Executive at the time of the wheel loss incident on 24 October 2018.
Questioned by the TC, Mr Dawson said that he had been acting in the interim after the previous TM, Peter Hatfield, had left. Mr Hatfield was acting as TM for seven hours a week and he was supervising him on the basis of one hour a week.
When Mr Hatfield left he had visited the Chesterfield office more frequently. He had not known anything about the stretched vehicle inspection periods, that vehicles had not had the appropriate PCV test, and that drivers were not carrying out walk-round checks properly, as he had wrongly assumed that the procedures left in place by Mr Hatfield were adequate.
He had not been informed that staff had said that there had been a knocking sound from the vehicle involved in the wheel loss for some time. He had relied upon the new TM Lee Murphy to carry out an investigation into the incident.
He accepted that he had been TM in name only at the time and had been on a TM’s refresher course since. He agreed that he had effectively been the Managing Director, and in future he would be supervising the present TM.
Director, Trustee and Board Chairman of the Charity, Michael Usherwood, said that the O-Licence vehicles were predominantly used on Derbyshire Connect county council contracts providing those living at home independently transport to shops and doctors’ surgeries.
They also ran S19 permit services on contract to the County Council throughout Derbyshire for vulnerable children and adults to schools and day centres. They were the largest specialist provider in the county. He had never any doubts about Mr Dawson as TM.
They had been through difficult times in recent years. Systems had been rigorously overhauled. They had merged with HCT Group, which operated 900-odd vehicles across the country, and had taken their guidance. The Group had undertaking an engineering audit which revealed shortcomings.
In reply to the TC, Mr Usherwood said that the level of scrutiny in place previously was not as robust as it should have been. With hindsight greater scrutiny might have prevented what occurred.
They had learned a lot in the last few months. It had been a lot to ask of Mr Dawson at the time. He knew that it was a stretch for those two months for Mr Dawson to do both jobs.
Mr Murphy said that when he took over in September the systems were adequate, if properly implemented, but some were very simplistic.
The TC is to issue his decision in writing at a future date.
