IN YOUR OPINION
Page 83
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The editor is always pleased to receive letters on all aspects of the road transport industry. Contributors must include their names and addresses, though the published letter may appear under a nom de plume where specifically requested. Views expressed in letters published are not necessarily those of the editor.
AThitewashing Activities?
AM sorry that your contributor, Janus, did not quote the legal chapter and verse when he contended h " To lunish an operator twice for the same offences seems ontrary to the principles Of good justice" (The 7ommercial Motor, June 4).
Many would agree with Janus; I recall a recent transort "go slow" following an employer's imposition of a eriod of suspension on a driver found guilty of falsifying n sheets. The driver's colleagues thought it outrageous hat the man should lose three days' pay after paying a 10 fine (particularly close to Christmas).
Yet the employer probably argued, not unreasonably, lat to ignore the serious offence would be to establish a ad disciplinary precedent for the future, since one object f punishment is to deter other likely offenders.
Ignoring the R. Hampton judgment, on the general uestion of vehicle maintenance 1 cannot help feeling that perators' associations (and Janus himself on occasion) rould serve the cause of road transport more effectively ' they condemned, without qualification, proved breaches V the law.
A minority of haulage concerns finds it economically ood business to risk prosecution for unsafe vehicles; it is heaper, in financial terms, to have a few vehicles susended for a few months than to spend thousands of ounds on decent maintenance premises and equipment. 'his minority of operators, in fact, is doing the industry incalculable harm, and LAs are much too gentle with them, in my humble opinion.
I am tired of the whitewashing proclivities of Janus and other road transport publicists who lean over backwards in a vain attempt to gild the lily. Had maintenance is a crime: and all the extenuating circumstances do not make it less so if a shockingly maintained lorry runs down one of YOUR loved ones.
Wellingborough. Thomas DAVID.
I N The Commercial Motor of May 28 in " Road and Workshop ". Handyman explains the vernier caliper (page 61). Unfortunately. I am unable to understand this as the lines correspond at 0-015 in, and the diagram clearly states 0.014 in.. as does the text of the article.
I should be extremely obliged if you would clear up this point for me.
Barrow-on-Tren t. J. MAeDosts L D. Nr. Derby.
[Mr. MacDonald is quite right, there was an unfortunate error in the drawing, which should have been as shown here.--Eu.1