Smiths awaits verdict
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ADING-BASED coach company appeared before the South irn Traffic Commissioners last week after maintenance probwere discovered by Department of Transport inspections. The ct has been reserved.
iiths Luxury Coaches has a of 42 vehicles used for intional excursions and prihire. In March and June the Reading DTp inspector lined some of the vehicles issued prohibition notices, immediate and delayed. September a fleet inspecwas carried out and more As were found. They in:el engine oil leaks, defectyres and faulty entrance imergency exit-doors.
summer 1982 the company untered problems in finding ble accommodation for its itenance and bodywork ties, the company said in its ice.
; operating centre is at smeadow Road, Reading. consists of a large parking leased from National Caron a yearly basis, and an a site.
maintenance was carried it Rosekiln Lane in Reading. premises were similar to aircraft hangers, the corn'said, and could house over 1982 the place was in a I of disrepair and a new site looked for.
le company chose a building arghfield, just outside ReadPreparations were made for -nova, but at the last minute ;ompany was let down and )urpose-built centre went to her company.
niths was compelled to stay le old site, while the body work repair side of the company was moved to Windsor, where facillities were better.
The company carried out work on a commercial basis for outside companies during this time and the DTp inspector felt that this was not satisfactory. Roger Chester, managing director of Smiths, pointed out it had always done work for outside companies, and that only 40 per cent of the total maintenance programme was spent on outside vehicles.
The DTp inspector said that maintenance was carried out by unskilled fitters and this was not a good situation. Mr Chester said that these fitters had three years of training and so, by the company's standards, were capable of doing the job.
In the middle of 1982 the company moved into another purpose-built centre at Theale in the Reading area. The premises have seven bays and one spray shop.
At the Theale premises there were vehicle lifts rather than using pits. The lifts were easy to handle and could lift a fullyladen coach in five to ten minutes. The DTp inspector felt that this lifting time was too long and fitters would be put off doing smaller jobs because of it. The company pointed out that most checks lasted at least 45 minutes and so this would not be the case.
The staff were more content now that a permanent site had been found, Mr Chester said, and a more comprehensive system of maintenance checks was being started.
The defect notices "were an isolated situation", the company told the Traffic Commissioners. Sufficient preventive maintenance was now being carried out, Smiths believed.