Curtailment and sympathy
Page 30
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• Sympathy and curtailment came from the Eastern Area LA, Mr H. E. Robson, last week when a Cambridge operator appeared before him under Section 69.
Mr Robson told Mr William Alfred Button, managing director of CAC transport Ltd, Cambridge, that he accepted that he had done everything possible to employ another fitter and he was most sympathetic to his predicament. However, since there was no real prospect of a fitter being engaged in the immediate future it was necessary to curtail the authorized fleet of 12 vehicles (eight specified) to five.
A vehicle examiner giving evidence told the LA that he had visited the company's premises on May 4 and 7, and examined six vehicles. Their condition was generally poor and all suffered defects. Some were repaired at the time and only one GV9 was issued. Maintenance facilities were good but there was only one fitter to maintain the fleet in addition to a number of cars and vans. He considered this shortage of staff was the cause of the trouble.
Accepting this, Mr Button said he had constantly tried to engage another fitter. In fact two had been engaged since May but neither had stayed for more than one week. It was extremely difficult to get fitters to come to the outskirts of the city, he said. Mr Button pointed out that this was the first GV9 issued to his company in five years. He had enlisted the aid of commercial vehicle garages to handle part of his maintenance and company cars were put out for maintenance. He was still trying to get another flitter.
Name change for Weeks
• The board of directors of Weeks and Co (Engineers) Ltd has changed the name of the company to Weeks Trailers Ltd.