D&E Coaches has licence returned
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• A Welsh PSV operator who is to be presented by the Welsh Under Secretary of State with the keys of a brand new Mercedes coach bought with the aid of a 50% rural bus grant, has tackled the problem of poor vehicle maintenance.
David Brotherton of D & E Coaches in Llanllechid had had his 0-licence revoked by North Eastern Deputy Traffic Commissioner Kenneth Birchall because his coaches are so badly neglected.
Last week, however, Birchall granted Brotherton a four-vehicle licence for two years after hearing that he had bought his own garage.
Vehicle examiner Derek Passey said that he had examined the five vehicles in possession in August, and had issued two immediate prohibitions. Brotherton had had no premises at the time and had operated the business from a terraced house in a mountain village. It had been stated that the vehicles would be parked at the premises of the commercial garage undertaking the maintenance, but they had usually been parked on the side of the highway near Brotherton's home.
According to Passy, Brotherton had had too many vehicles and no facilities. A spot check in March 1987 had led to immediate prohibitions being imposed on two of the three vehicles examined, and the third had been issued with a delayed prohibition notice.
For Brotherton Robert Aldrich told the inquiry that Brotherton had now bought a workshop and that the last of the five original vehicles would be replaced on 19 December.
Brotherton said that he was now keeping the vehicles on land at the back of Greys Motors garage at Bethesda. He had one registered service and four coaches with no intention to expand.
A brand new 24-seat Mercedes was on order. It would be used to extend the service into the North Wales hills where larger vehicles could not go. The keys were to be presented to him by the undersecretary at a ceremony at Penrhyn Castle.