eople let you down
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DISMISSING an appeal against a decision by the Western icensing Authority, Transport Tribunal president George Squibb is week said that one of the hazards of being a transport operator the failings of other people.
The appeal was lodged by Joeph Torok, trading as K and J lent and Tipper Hire, whose perator's licence has been curailed owing to problems arising om a lack of vehicle maintennce. Mr Torok used a garage rhich was "not up to the mark", ccording to his solicitor, Jean iversedge, who received rare Dngratulations from the Tribual for the way in which she Dnducted the case.
Miss Liversedge said that Hunarian-born Torok failed to keep ehicle inspection records as he iought his garage did so — not n uncommon assumption, :cording to the solicitor. But in ddition, the company's system" of vehicle faults being sported by drivers only verbally d to a number of unreported lilts being found on several 3hicles.
The faults ranged from in operative power steering, air leaks on brakes, a wheel fracture, lighting and tyre faults, and loose flange bolts. Faults were discovered on one vehicle that had left the garage only the night before while another could have sustained its faults after, rather than before, it was involved in an accident.
The Western LA conceded that some of the faults "could have been bad luck items" while Miss Liversedge felt that in fact all could have been "bad luck items". She felt that the LA was obliged to keep an open mind and did not approach an earlier public inquiry on a neutral basis.
Initially the case looked like a bad one, she said, and hinted that the LA did not look beyond his first impression of the case. Miss Liversedge also said that she was not satisfied with some of the "secondhand" evidence given by a vehicle examiner at the public inquiry at which Mr Torok was not represented. Much of this evidence contradicted Mr Torok's, she said.