And then there was one . .
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• D.E.B. (Plant Hire) Ltd, of Worthing, had its licence for three vehicles reduced to one this week by Maj-Gen A. F. J. Elmslie, the South Eastern LA, when the company was called to a Section 69 inquiry in Eastbourne.
Maj-Gen Elmslie reminded the director of the firm, Mr Bryan Douglas, that when he appeared before the deputy LA in March last year to apply for a licence three immediate GV9s had already been issued. Because the 1968 Transport Act had only just been put into operation, however, a lenient view had been taken and the licence granted. A warning about any further prohibitions had been made at that time.
A vehicle examiner, Mr D. Voller, had issued since the grant a further one immediate and two delayed GV9s. The premises, said Mr Voller, were just adequate but usually dirty and sometimes under water making conditions for repair work very difficult. No records existed although some inspection forms had been partially completed to the extent that four or five items were marked as checked, usually from the driver's position, and the forms signed by Mr Douglas declaring that the vehicle was considered roadworthy.
Mr Douglas said that a mobile workshop did repair work but the LA pointed out that there was no evidence to suggest work was in fact being carried out satisfactorily.
The LA concluded that he was quite entitled to revoke the licence completely in view of the past maintenance record and the warning the company had received at the time of his licence grant. He had decided, however, to curtail the licence by two of the three vehicles specified.