Let off for Buckley
Page 14
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A ONE-vehicle Yorkshire company which fell into maintenance difficulties was allowed to carry on operating for a further 11 months because of its past good record, after it appeared before the Transport Tribunal last week.
E. Buckley and Son, now run by brothers Albert and Clarence Buckley and operating from Colinsborough in Yorkshire, operates just one vehicle, a Bedford tipper, to carry coal and sludge for the National Coal Board.
Maintenance problems arose when there was a disagreement between the company and a garage carrying out its servicing. The company decided to move its maintenance checks to an Autofit garage, but this arrangement did not work.
It was during this period that the company's standard operator's licence was due for renewal in mid-1982. So a vehicle inspection was carried out by the Department of Transport examiner and faults were found.
A public inquiry was called for by the Yorkshire Licensing Authority for October 21, 1982, at which the company said that arrangements had now been made with Golden Smithies' service station for maintenance checks. The inquiry was postponed while the Department of Transport examiner made a further vehicle inspection.
At the start of November the inspection was made and vehicle faults had not been corrected. This was because the mechanics at the service station were on holiday and the company did not want to take its vehicle elsewhere.
A second public inquiry was called and the company's 0licence was revoked.
In allowing the appeal, Tribunal president John Inskip said this case was an exceptional one because of the company's good record. He allowed the licence to run until April 1984,