Backing for the men from the VI
Page 35
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In reply to Jonathan Lawton's letter (CM 29 Jan4 Feb), I have had my share of disagreements with the Department of Transport and the Vehicle Inspectorate in the past 40 years as a transport contractor, com. mercial vehicle repair centre, recovery operator and MoT Test Centre.
I started my career at the age of 15 as an apprentice mechanic at the largest bus company in East Anglia, where I became involved at the age of 19 with the inspection and repair of buses for test by the Department of Transport inspectors. That gave me inside knowledge of how they work.
At the age of 22 I left the company to start my own transport business with thc help of my bus-driver father. I turned a one-vehicle business into one of the largest transport businesses in the area by the mid-seventies.
1 then sold the business and concentrated on what was to become our core business—which includes commercial vehicle repairs. vehicle and trailer conversions, an MoT test centre, and, later, 24-hour recovery.
[have had my differences of opinion with Ron Oliver
and several other VI officials over the years, but in general they use common sense within the framwork they are allowed.
I have found Ron Oliver to be very fair-minded person who will advise his customers to the best of his knowledge.
wish to state from the many years of experience I have gained in my time in the business that the roadside vehicle examiner was correct to fail the trailer for a brake fault and issue a prohibition after hearing a noise when the footbrake was applied and then released.
"lb any commercial mechanic or fitter these are the classic symptoms of excessive travel.
A vehicle inspector who failed to issue a notice would be in breach of his duty and liable to lose his job had this vehicle been involved in art .tccident, Personally, I believe the owner was trying to bluff his way out of trouble—there seems to be a maintenance problem. If it's not of his making it is of his staff's, and either way he is the person responsible.
Jonathan Lawton would be well advised to get a second opinion, preferably from one or two large transport companies that he has had as
clients in the past, but he should be sure to talk to the staff who know.
Jonathan Lawton will find out that he may well owe Ron Oliver an apology, hut I know he is man enough to make it.
GW Hemmaway,
CSG 21hr Recovoy
Service Centre, Peterborough.