LA considers NCL's priority conflict
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• A conflict on priorities between the operating and engineering departments of the former South Eastern area of National Carriers Ltd, led to its licence being curtailed and vehicles being suspended for one month by Mr G. C. Mercer, deputy South Eastern LA at a public inquiry last week in Reading.
The company had received 10 prohibitions including one immediate in 1971, 14 including one immediate in 1972, and 19 including one immediate this year. In addition there was one overloading offence in 1971 and two convictions for defective tyres between 1972 and 1973. For NCL, Mr Geoffrey Jones said that an application had been made to vary the licence in February this year from 651 vehicles and 1496 trailers already authorized to 533 vehicles and 1947 trailers. Specified on the licence at present were 508 vehicles and 1037 trailers. He said that a fleet inspection had followed and records were not satisfactory at the Aldershot Basingstoke workshops. This was the centre of the trouble in which NCL had found itself and the difficulties at this point had thrown strain on the other 30 workshops in the area. He could not excuse the company's maintenance record but in mitigation pointed out that the workshops at Aldershot-Basingstoke had moved into new premises and suffered from a staff shortage.
The deputy LA curtailed the licence to 408 vehicles for one month from July 16 and removed five vehicles from the licence from the same period. He said that there had obviously been occasions when the needs of the operating department had prevented vehicles being maintained — this was a very serious matter, and quite contrary to the requirements of the 1968 Act. The application to vary the licence was, however, granted from the end of the period of curtailment.