Licence curtailed after mechanic's illness
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• The advantages of employing satisfactory vehicle maintenance staff was highlighted at a public inquiry under Sedlion 69 in Leeds last week when Mr A. Hodgkiss, managing director of Goldthorpe Metals Ltd, said the company's vehicles had received no prohibition notices at all until the staff fitter had been taken ill.
Goldthorpe Metals had been called before the LA following fleet inspections on March 15 and 20 of this year.
Mr A. Holmeshaw, the vehicle examiner who carried out the inspections, told the LA, Maj-Gen Sir John Potter, that he had found the four vehicles and two trailers operated by the company to be in a poor condition and had issued two immediate prohibition and two defect notices. The examiner said Goldthorpe Metals had not kept any maintenance records and had carried out only minor repairs as they became necessary. Larger repairs went to local garages and there was no method by which drivers could report vehicle defects. The LA took into consideration the fact that Goldthorpe Metals, originally authorized to operate six vehicles and three trailers, had received seven prohibitions and seven defect notices since September 1971. It was also said that in 1969 the company was convicted on three occasions for offences relating to tyre and braking defects.
Mr Hodgkiss said that after the fitter had been compelled to give up working through illness several other maintenance mechanics had been employed and found to be unsuitable. The original mechanic had now returned and the company was keeping maintenance records and maintaining its vehicles at regular intervals.
On deciding to curtail the licence by four vehicles and one trailer, including the two vehicles and one trailer which had not been acquired, the LA stipulated that he would not consider any other vehicle increase application for three months and then only on the understanding that a satisfactory fleet inspection had been carried out.