Vehicle Fitness Vital
Page 31
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INFORMATION from various sources indicates that many holders, of goods-vehicle licences fail to realize the importance of the requirements as to vehicle fitness contained in the Road and Rail Traffic Act.
Some have even adopted the attitude that they are not going to worry until they are told what to do by the examiners. Such users may, possibly, escape notice for some little time, because the inspection of goods vehicles is not quite so drastic as in the case of the public-service type, but to rely upon escaping attention is to live in a fool's paradise.
In many cases these particular users depend upon their vehicles for their livelihood, so that it would be a serious matter for them if notice of prohibition of use were to be served. These notices can be given by a vehicle examiner either in the case of a vehicle which he considers to be unfit for service or in respect of one which is likely to become so, until the defects have been remedied. He is entitled to inspect any goods vehicle, whether subject to the licensing provisions of the Act or not, or, at any reasonable hour, to enter any premises where it is believed that a goods vehicle is kept.
There is another factor to be considered. If a user becomes notorious on account of the number of stop notices served upon him he will quite likely experience considerable difficulty in obtaining a renewal of his licence at the termination of the current period.
It is significant that in referring to the conditions applying to every licence, amongst those stated as being the most important and the one first mentioned, is the stipulation that the vehicle must be maintained in a fit condition.
Attention to efficient maintenance should not be deferred. A last-minute rush would merely congest the repairers, and even if the work could be executed in time it would then cost more and be less likely to be satisfactory.