Crucial question is one of safety LA
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YORKSHIRE owner-driver Gordon Havercroft had his Dperatoes licence renewed last week, but only on condition that he organises better maintenance checks.
He has been working as a tub-contractor to Mixed Con:rete Holding of York, and told eorkshire Licensing Authority VIaj-Gen V. H. J. Carpenter hat he had stopped having his rehicles maintained by MCH ts he could not withold paynent for unsatisfactory work.
Mr Havercroft said that if he Bed a private contractor to naintain his vehicle he could vithhold payment if the work vas not done properly, until it tad been put right.
Vehicle examiner Anthony blanley said he had examined he one specified vehicle and mposed an immediate prolibition for 12 defects, the aajority of which were of mg-standing.
In reply to Maj-Gen Car'enter, Mr Manley said there oid not appear to have been ny problems when the inpection was carried out by ?fixed Concrete Holdings. The ifficulties seemed to have risen since the maintenance ad been transferred to a ommercial garage.
Mr Havercroft said he had hanged because he had not een satisfied with the way at Mixed Concrete Holdings ad been maintaining the ehicle and he did not believe at the defects found could ave arisen in the period of tree or four weeks following le change.
Questioned by Maj-Gen Carpenter, Mr Havercroft agreed that the commercial garage had inspected the vehicle before the vehicle examiner's visit. He said it was not a young vehicle and was not in a particularly good state when he acquired it from Mixed Concrete. He had spent some £2,000 upon it.
He had a four-year contract with Mixed Concrete and there was still a maintenance agreement with them. He had no agreement with the commercial garage but if he was satisfied after a trial period, he would enter a contract with them. Renewing the two-vehicle licence on the condition that there be confirmation within three months of exactly who was carrying out the maintenance, Maj-Gen Carpenter said Mr Havercroft had operated perfectly satisfactorily for five years but he was not too happy about the present maintenance arrangements.
It seemed to him that Mr Havercroft was betwixt and between and seeking to back it both ways. He believed he was trying to get it right but the important issue at the end of the day was whether it was safe. It was a situation that had to be tidied up.