HIGH PEAK Borough Council has been criticised for failing to attend a hearing which resulted in its lorry operator's licence being revoked.
North West Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell took the decision following concerns over the way the authority maintained its vehicles and also its professional ability to run the operation.
The licence, for its fleet of waste and recycling HGV veh
icles, was revoked from midnight on August 12. This service has since been taken over by private firm Veolia.
A spokesman for the Commissioner expressed her disappointment at the outcome, in light of extensive work with local authorities over the years to ensure they were up to speed with the requirements for running a fleet.
"When you get an operator's licence from the Traffic Commissioner you make promises to do things properly and she expects people to do that," said the spokesman.
"She is very keen to ensure the high standards of maintenance and therefore safety. It is about safety as much as anything as well as people's professional ability to run a fleet operation properly."
The council's shortcomings came to light following inspections by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).
The spokesman added: "The Commissioner was certainly very surprised the council weren't represented (at the hearing) in some way to explain the situation to her and certainly for her it was another major disappointment."
In a statement, High Peak Borough Council said: "In the interests of saving public money, the Council requested confirmation from the Traffic Commissioner that the matter be dealt with without the need for a public inquiry.
The Traffic Commissioner agreed on the basis that the licence was revoked at midnight on 12 August 2008, the date on which Veolia would be taking over the waste and recycling service."
The full article contains 298 words and appears in Buxton Advertiser newspaper.
