A HAULAGE business that cheated on pollution controls and operated vehicles with “dangerous” brakes has been driven off the road by the region’s traffic commissioner.

KSL transport manager Stephen Harris blamed “a bad run of luck” when quizzed by examiners who had discovered two “major” brake problems.

But withdrawing his licence and shutting the Cinderford business, which employed some eight people, West of England Traffic Commissioner Kevin Rooney, said: “Luck should play no part in the safe operation of heavy goods vehicles.”

A public inquiry in Bristol heard that a road check last August discovered that a hidden “emulator cheat device” had been fitted to one lorry to defeat emission control indicators.

This hid the fact that the vehicle was not using AdBlue fluid to limit the effect of nitrogen dioxide pollution from HGV diesel exhaust fumes, which could have been up to two and a half times worse as a result.

When threatened with number plate recognition data, Harris admitted that his lorry had been to London, where the business should have paid a £200 surcharge for a high polluting lorry.

He claimed the emulator was fitted before he bought the lorry, but Mr Rooney said it was “clear nonsense” that he didn’t know the vehicle needed AdBlue.

“The AdBlue gauge on the dashboard is unmissable, as is the AdBlue tank,” he said.

“I find without hesitation that Mr Harris wilfully shut his eyes to the absolutely blindingly obvious. It follows that I reject his assertion that he did not have knowledge of the emulation device.”

The commissioner said it was “clearly visible” that one leg of the AdBlue fuse in the fuse box was missing, which should have powered the dashboard malfunction indicator light.

Twelve prohibition notices totalling 21 defects were issued for the operator’s six crane-assisted vehicles and four trailers over three years, including four that were considered “immediately dangerous”, while its MOT failure rate was “extremely poor” at 43 per cent.

There was a failure to act on notices and vehicles had “not been kept fit and serviceable”, facts supported by an unannounced visit to the operator’s Steam Mills premises last September.

Mr Rooney described a failure to repair two crane legs as “shocking” and evidence of “a transport manager who fails properly to engage in his role.”

“Mr Harris tried to shrug-off the seriousness of this matter by telling me that the legs are hydraulically operated... but insecure, hydraulically-operated landing legs have been the cause of serious crashes including fatalities,” he ruled.

Harris, whose business partner is Karen Phelps, claimed that a prohibition notice last August for a lorry which appeared to have “two major brake defects” was a result of a maintenance technician failing to reset the brake to its normal operating mode, and since December 2017 he had introduced roller break testing.

But Mr Rooney said: “Even the most disengaged of transport managers would have responded to the very serious prohibition for two fundamental braking issues by brake testing the entire fleet and introducing industry good practice.

“But, no... Mr Harris says ‘we have had a bad run of luck with regard to the brake defect’.”

Finding that Harris was “not an operator of good repute,” and revoking his licence and ordering the business to close by March 3, the commissioner said: “The lack of practical competence, the persistent use of vehicles in an immediately dangerous condition along with the clear commercial advantage enjoyed by the operator due to the emulation device fitted, mean that this is an operation that must come to an end.”