A BRADFORD haulier has been given a formal warning over unsatisfactory maintenance of its vehicles.

PD Bannister Haulage Ltd, of Weaverthorpe Road, Tong Street, was the subject of a public inquiry by the Traffic Commissioner for the North East of England, Tim Blackmore.

The inquiry heard that the firm had received 19 prohibitions for unsafe loads and 10 for brake-related issues in the past two years.

Mr Blackmore issued the warning after considering a report from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) into the company’s unsatisfactory maintenance standards.

After hearing evidence from the company during the inquiry, he said it was apparent that the company’s vehicles were receiving too many prohibitions for the load and brake issues and defects that should have been identified by drivers during walk around checks.

The Traffic Commissioner warned the firm that the failing needed to be addressed with some urgency.

He noted that the principal reason for the prohibition levels could be attributed to the over-reliance on agency drivers and lack of sufficient training opportunities made available for all drivers (full time and agency).

The inquiry heard that the company was also not currently submitting vehicles and trailers for brake testing in accordance with the DVSA Guide to Maintaining Roadworthiness. Additionally, some trailer safety inspections for trailers were being conducted onsite without adequate facilities.

Mr Blackmore decided to hold back on taking any regulatory action against the firm’s licence because it was evident they were aware of the issues and had resolved to remedy them.

To provide assurances of the company’s intentions, he accepted promises of an independent audit of the operator’s systems for maintenance and drivers’ hours and the effectiveness with which those systems are implemented.

The firm also promised that there would be monitoring of all prohibitions issued up to April 30, 2020, and provision of a full written report to the Traffic Commissioner, detailing the reason for the prohibition (insecure load, brakes, driver reportable defect etc), the company’s conclusions including the circumstances of the driver (full time, long term agency, recent agency); and the training received by the driver. The report should also indicate the proportion of the driver workforce that are full time and agency as of April 30, a situation that should be monitored throughout the six-month report period

Mr Blackmore made clear to the company that on receipt of the audit and company report he reserved the right to hold a further a subsequent public inquiry, should the outcomes be unsatisfactory.

PD Bannister declined to comment on the result of the inquiry when approached by the T&A.