Pre-trip defects, expired insurance paper and a depot collision
At 05:20 a driver starts a 12 m airport coach with 42 passengers booked for 06:30. During the walk-around he finds a 4 cm cut on the inner sidewall of the rear outer tyre, tread depth 2.0 mm on the drive axle, and the air-pressure gauge reads 6.0 bar after the engine has run for two minutes; the low-pressure warning lamp flickers when he releases the parking brake. The company's defect book is in the office, which opens at 07:00. The airport run is 38 km, mostly motorway. A fitter is 25 minutes away but has no spare tyre; a replacement coach is 50 minutes away. The driver also notices the insurance certificate in the folder expired yesterday, though the policy renewal email is on his phone.
1. Assess each finding and decide whether the coach may operate the airport run.
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The tyre cut is the critical item. A 4 cm sidewall cut on the inner side of a rear tyre must be inspected for exposed cords, bulging or separation; if any is present, the tyre is unsafe and the coach must not move in service. The tread at 2.0 mm is above the 1.6 mm legal minimum, but it is still low for a wet motorway run and should be recorded for early replacement.
The air-pressure reading of 6.0 bar after two minutes is not a normal fully charged air-brake system, and a flickering low-pressure warning shows that pressure is not building or holding correctly. That alone makes the brake system suspect. The expired insurance certificate does not automatically prove the policy has lapsed, because the renewal email may confirm cover, but the operator must verify cover and current documents before the vehicle is used.
The decision should be: do not board the 42 passengers or start the airport run until the tyre and air system are checked and released by a competent person. A replacement coach is the safer operational choice.
2. What defect and document actions should the driver take, and what if the fitter says the tyre is acceptable?
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He should record the tyre cut, tread depth, air-pressure behaviour and warning-lamp flicker in the defect book as soon as it is available, and inform dispatch immediately by phone or radio. He should not move the coach with passengers until the defects are assessed. If the fitter attends, the driver should ask for a written or logged release covering the tyre and the air system, and should record the fitter's name and time. The insurance cover should be confirmed by the office or insurer, not just by an email on a personal phone.
If the fitter releases the tyre but the air pressure still does not reach normal and hold with the warning off, the coach remains unroadworthy. A tyre release alone does not clear a brake-system defect. The driver should refuse the run and let the operator send the replacement coach.
3. While waiting, the driver reverses in the yard and hits a bollard, causing minor paint damage and no injuries. What must he do?
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He must stop, secure the coach and check that nobody is hurt. He should note the time, position, damage to the coach and the bollard, take photographs if permitted, and identify the owner of the property or the site office. He should report the collision to his operator and insurer, complete the company accident report, and exchange details with the property owner. If the owner cannot be found, he should report it to the police as required by local practice.
He should not admit liability or agree to pay privately, and he should not leave the scene without making the report. Because the coach has now had contact damage, he should also check whether the bodywork, lights or tyre are affected before any further movement. The earlier defects and the collision should be kept as separate records so that the insurer and operator can assess each correctly.