'Determined to produce fault-free coach'
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• Coach operator Ivor Griffiths, called to a Section 127 inquiry before the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioners on Tuesday, said he was "dumbfounded" when a vehicle examiner discovered completely worn brake shoes on a coach prepared for recertification. "The examiner then threw the book at me", he admitted.
Mr Griffiths, giving evidence to Mr D. I. R. Muir, chairman, as to why he should be allowed to retain PSV licences for four coaches, three of which had received PSV 71 prohibitions during the past year, said he was "determined to produce a vehicle which would be completely clear of faults".
A vehicle examiner, Mr John Atkinson, said that he had noticed a deterioration in the general appearance of Mr Griffiths' fleet and decided to carry out spot checks, last September. The first vehicle was given an immediate PSV 71 and the second a delayed "71".
A further check of the third coach in October revealed 15 defects and another delayed PSV 71 was issued. Mr Griffiths stated that he had taken over a car hire business a year ago, and this had proved a drastic mistake. The coach side of the business had tended to suffer because he had little time to supervise work done by a driver/fitter.
He had now agreed an arrangement with a garage near Luton for regular servicing of his vehicles, which were employed on the transport of mentally handicapped children.
Mr Muir said that Mr Griffiths had been "very frank-, but asked if he could really feel satisfied that vehicles he was employing for mentally handicapped children, of all people, were safe. County Alderman H. S. Cawsey, who sat with the chairman, commented that Mr Griffiths would now have been without a driving licence if one of his coaches had been involved with the police.
After a short adjournment, Mr Muir allowed the operator to retain licences for two vehicles only, to be chosen by him, but warned that he had taken a lenient line when he could have been "very hard".