Two Months' "Probation" Period for Febry
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FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT BRISTOL, Tuesday.
FOR the next two months the operations of Messrs. R. and W. A. Febry, Chipping Sodhury, Glos. will be under the scrutiny of the staff of Mr. S. W. Nelson, Western Licensing Authority. The firrn's records will be examined, " silent " checks made, and a report sent to him at the end of that time. This will enable him to decide whether to suspend or revoke any of Fehry's licences.
The Authority made known his intention here today when Febry had to show cause why their licences should not be suspended or revoked.
THE North Western Licensing Authority is to suspend one vehicle of Bulk Liquid Transport, Ltd., for six months. The starting date of the period has not yet been fixed. He has offered to consider any suggestion made by the company, for the benefit of customers, as to how the suspension should be arranged. B.L.T. may be allowed to take one vehicle off the road for six months, two for three months, three for two months, or some similar arrangement.
This penalty is part of the Licensing Authority's decision to grant the company's application to transfer four articulated tankers from special A licence to a public A licence (The Commercial Motor, June 5, 1959), and to transfer 14 other vehicles and two semi-trailers, all tankers, from special A to ordinary A licence (The Commercial 11;lotor, February 12). During the hearing of both applications much was made of the conversion of platform vehicles into tankers.
Three of the outfits in the group of four were granted last year, but decision was reserved on the fourth, which is now granted. After reviewing all the circumstances in which the vehicles in question came to be specified, in the first place, on various special A licences held by Bulk Liquid Transport, the Licensing Authority concluded that in at least two instances legitimate bounds had been exceeded. He decided that some disciplinary action must be taken. Consequently, the grant in relation to the outstanding vehicle in the group of four is to be suspended for six months.
42-HOUR WEEK ACCEPTED
THE engineering employers' offer of a reduction in the working week from 44 to 42 hours, without loss of pay, was accepted last week by the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions. The unions have abandoned their demand for higher wages.
NO TAKE-OVER
.THE directors of Monkton Motors, Ltd., Wallingford Road Industrial Estate, Uxbridge, Middx, have issued a denial that their company has been taken over by any other concern. As reported in The Commercial Motor dated December 11 and December 18, 1959, Febry had appeared before Chipping Sodbury magistrates on charges of infringing the regulations on drivers hours and records. A total of 330 summonses was considered, and there were also prosecutions against 38 drivers. Fines imposed by the magistrates exceeded £1,000.
Mr. L. R. Beattie, senior traffic examiner, also reminded Mr. Nelson today of fines amounting to £221 paid by Febry and 10 of their drivers in 1956. Witness said that last December's case arose out of a " silent " road check made in respect of Febry and other operators.
For Febry, Mr. T. D. Corpe asked Mr. Beattie what more his clients could have done to prevent their drivers from working excessive hours.
"They could have intensified their disciplinary action. Secret checks could have been made," replied Mr. Beattie. He agreed that, although the use of recorders had been suggested, these could be interfered with by drivers, Mr. Corpe said that the magistrates concurred that Febry had taken certain precautions, but that they had not done enough. This completely negatived any suggestion that the offences were committed wilfully.
Whatever precautions an employer took, he was technically liable if record sheets turned out to be wrong. In this instance, stated Mr. Come, the records appeared to be correct.
Febry had a first-class record and earned a 40-per-cent, discount. off their insurance premiums in respect of non fatal accidents. The firm had taken further precautions and disciplinary action since the prosecutions. Mr. Come asked the Authority to consider that Febry had regular contracts involving an annual turnover of £196,000.
Mr. W. A. Febry. a partner in the firm, said that he had £300,000 invested in A licences. He had increased his staff for the purpose of examining records, and gone round the countryside checking drivers. Some 11c1 been dismissed for breaking the regulations.
The Authority said that he would take no further action if his report showed that the firm had done all they could. He was sure that it was not Mr. Febry's intention to hoodwink the law. Much of the difficulty possibly arose because Mr. Febry tried to do too much himself.