qinibus hirer fined for faulty speedo
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The driver of a hired minibus who took party of children on an outing to lackpool checked the odometer and found r testing the recorded mileage with the stance markers on M6 that it was 20 per nt inaccurate.
At Stockport magistrate's court last week e hire firm, Pryce Jones, of Hazel Grove, ar Stockport, Cheshire, admitted a charge using unjust measuring equipment in the rd Transit minibus last October and was Fed £20 with £20 costs. Mr B. Caulfield, presenting the firm, said it had been an aocent error and was corrected as soon as was noticed.
Mr Arthur Rogers Carruthers, prosecut
ing for Cheshire county council, said a man hired the bus for £5.50 with a condition that he paid for the mileage after the first 100. The hirer was not satisfied that the total of 177 miles recorded was correct. Mr Carruthers said the man returned the bus and later received back a £10 deposit, minus the charge for the excess mileage.
A weights and measures inspector, Mr M. Drury, found that the speedometer was only four fifths accurate. Further tests showed that it was possible that a replacement gearbox had at some time been fitted and instead of the worm gear on the gearbox main shaft having five teeth it had, in fact, six, Mr Carruthers said his department took the view that hirers had to rely on the integrity of the vehicle owners that the correct charges were being made.
Defending,. Mr Caulfield said the firm could raise no defence as it was "an absolute offence" in law. He said the excess charges had been refunded to all previous hirers who could have been affected by the faulty readings.
He said the firm hired out 100 vehicles and from now on even the odometers on new vehicles were being checked for accuracy.