Growers must set example
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LACK of preventive maintenance and workshop facilities led to a public inquiry into the operation of the Sandwich and District Growers fleet at Maidstone last week.
And they were told to improve their workshop and set an example.
Deputy South Eastern LA, Mr G. C. Mercer, heard that the company had been leaving vehicle inspections for up to 24 weeks when they should have been done at 12 and others for 16 weeks when they should have been carried out at four.
DoE vehicle examiner Mr B. W. J. Clark told the deputy LA that one of the company's trucks was stopped in a roadside check on A2 and put under immediate prohibition when a steering arm was found to be loose. When he inspected the fleet he found that the inspection intervals were excessive.
"I spoke to Mr Bolton who was the transport manager and he was co-operative and expressed concern," said Mr Clark. "The workshop premises may have been a contributing factor with their lack of facilities," he conceded.
The deputy LA decided to defer his decision on inquiry until the company had left documentary proof of improvements that it planned to make to the workshop to improve maintenance.
He said that the company already had a number of previous convictions and prohibition orders against it. "You as a co-operative company ought to be setting standards of behaviour after the previous 'inquiry," he said.
"I shall want to see documentary evidence of the facilities and instructions."