LA did not want to 'blot operator's copy book'
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• Remarking that he did not want to "blot the operator's copy book" the new LA for the Western traffic area, Maj-Gen Sir John Potter, holding his first public inquiry in Plymouth last week, nevertheless warned Mr B. P. Cordier of Two Bridges, Devon, is to his future conduct in connection with the proper maintenance and the keeping of records of his vehicles.
Mr Cordier had been called to the inquiry under Section 69 following a visit to his premises by Mr M. W. Pike, a vehicle examiner. No details or records whatsoever could be produced with regard to the regular maintenance of the vehicles and one vehicle was issued with a delayed prohibition notice.
When giving evidence Mr Cordier said there were in fact, arrangements for regular vehicle maintenance with a garage repairer, although the repairer had informed the vehicle examiner that there was nothing definite. Apparently this was a misunderstanding and had now been cleared up.
Giving an undertaking that one vehicle would be serviced and inspected every four weeks and the other every two weeks, Mr Cordier said that he was now going to employ a part-time mechanic to ensure that this was done. Appropriate records, acceptable to the vehicle examiner, would also be kept.
Granting the application for an additional vehicle and saying that he proposed to take no action under Section 69, Sir John Potter said there had been obvious weaknesses in the past and severely warned Mr Cordier as to the future.
Licence curtailed
At the same hearing the' LA curtailed the authorized vehicles of F. H. Mann (Plymouth) Ltd, Plymouth, by one vehicle. Three vehicles were authorized on the licence but only one had ever been specified.
Mr S. S. Martin, a vehicle examiner, had reported that, following an inspection of the one vehicle, an immediate prohibition notice had been given because of a faulty parking brake. No proper system of maintenance had been found and no. records had been produced, in spite of the fact that the licence had been held for three years. .
The LA reminded Mr John Cook, managing director of the company, that an undertaking had been given on the application form, when applying for the licence, for a proper maintenance system to be instituted and the vehicles to be properly maintained at all times.
Following his decision to curtail the licence, the LA then renewed the licence for two vehicles.