Beef about a defect notice
Page 28
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
CATTLE on board a vehicle operated by J. Saxton and Son Ltd of Huddersfield had all been standing one way—and this had given the impression that the lorry had •a weak spring and led to the imposition of a defect notice.
This was the explanation given by the company's managing director, Mr John Saxton, when the company was called before the Yorkshire Licensing Authority, Mr R. S. Thornton, at Leeds last week. Since 1972, one immediate prohibition, four defect notices and a number of convictions had been recorded against the company.
Mr Saxton said the business had been run by his father until his death in December, 1974. The problems had arisen after his father had become ill and left the operation of the company to its transport manager. Since he had 'taken over the management of the business, 'the transport manager 'had been dismissed.
The period between maintenance inspections had been reduced from one month to a, week, and drivers checked over their vehicles daily before they were allowed out. He was satisfied the company had now got a sound maintenance system which would prevent any recurrence of the past difficult ies.
The vehicle given the prohibition had been scrapped after it had been refused clearance. A conviction for unauthorised use had arisen 'because the transport manager had failed 'to 'have a new vehicle specified on the licence. A further conviction, for operating a vehicle without a current test certificate, had resulted from a part-time driver taking the wrong vehicle out on a job.
He was unable to offer any explanation for the other matters referred to by the Licensing Authority. The company's records had been destroyed in a fire at its 'premises in April and his knowledge did not extend back beyond December.
For the company, Mr G. Richardson said since the new. managing director had assumed control of the business a sensible approach had been adopted towards maintenance.
Curtailing the licence, which authorised 12 vehicles and five trailers, by one vehicle for one month, Mr Thornton said this was the second case he had dealt with in recent times where the management of a family business had •changed from one generation to the next, and, where, in the past, maintenance had not been as good as it could have been.
A company had to be judged on its record, but 'in this case the record was not all that bad. The company presently had 10 vehicle's specified and he did not feel it necessary to impose a penalty that would affect its current business.