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Three-month suspension for one
Page 39
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A HAULAGE company which has had 18 r-t prohibition notices against its vehicles in the past five or six years had one vehicle suspended for three months by the Northern Licensing Authority, Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon, at a Section 178 inquiry in Darlington on Monday.
Mr. T. H. Campbell Wardlaw, appearing for the company, Henry Peacock Ltd., of Stockton, said the firm operated 17 vehicles on A licence, two on Contract A and six on B.
A severe warning was given in July, 1959 about the condition of the firm's vehicles and since that time the 18 prohibitions had been issued. When the case was first opened proceedings were pending in Essex and the case was adjourned.
That case in Essex, said Mr. Wardlaw, concerned the company and one of its drivers. On August 31 an immediate GV9 was served in respect of one artic at Canvey Island, This notice stated that the braking system was not maintained in good working order.
Although the company had pleaded not guilty it was fined £5 with £5 costs by Southend magistrates. The driver was given an absolute discharge.
Mr. Wardlaw said: "This vehicle was a very new one when the notice was served and the crux of the complaint was that the handbrake mechanism was inefficient. The notice was removed three hours after its issue. While it is regrettable that a notice should be served, the inefficiency could not have been great. This company has made strong and persistent efforts to maintain its fleet."
Mr. A. C. Hamilton, managing director of the firm, said: "I hope there will be a big improvement in all our vehicles. I wanted a fortnightly inspection of all the fleet and have devised a form which covers every working part.' At the time of starting this system • I called in a Ministry inspector who agreed that it was an excellent method of maintenance."
He said that the annual cost of maintaining the fleet was more than £15,800. "GV9s are excellent for keeping hauliers on their toes, but I still insist that this handbraking system was not faulty. The charge about the footbrake was dropped at the court."
Mr. Hanlon said that every possible care should be taken before a vehicle was allowed on the road. "The fact that it took only three hours to correct the fault is much less of an excuse because the tightening of a nut dan change a dangerous vehicle into a safe one. These matters cannot be passed over."