Licence risked by volunteer
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THOUGH ACCEPTING that Barry Maye, jailed for 12 months in 1979 after a coach had crashed killing six pensioners, had good maintenance intentions, the North Western traffic Commissioners found it incredible that he should volunteer a vehicle for inspection which he was not using, and which he had to tax specially to take to the test station.
Chairman Roy Flutchings commented that Mr Maye had put the licence in jeopardy and the commissioners hoped that he would not be so stupid again. Nevertheless, they decided to take no action against the passenger service vehicle licence held by Mr Maye and his wife (trading as Mayfield Private Hire of Astley, near Manchester) and to increase the number of vehicles authorised from two to three.
Evidence was given by a vehicle examiner that the vehicle concerned had been given an immediate prohibition notice after he found 10 defects, two of which were dangerous. When the vehicle was presented for clearance a further dangerous defect was found which had arisen as a direct result of the repairs that had been carried out.
Mr Maye said that he had four vehicles in his possession. Two had very recently passed their annual test and, when the vehicle examiner asked for a vehicle to be produced, he intended to produce the third operational vehicle. However, that vehicle was stolen and damaged.
When he explained the situation, he was told to take the fourth vehicle, which he had purchased as a spare last autumn and which had not been taxed or used, to the test station.
Inspections were carried out by Transport Technical Services of Sandbach and the repairs done by either the local garage or Parkers Transport of Bolton.
When Parkers repaired the prohibited vehicle it failed to replace a switch properly with the result that there was an air leak.
Robert Widgery, a partner in the Transport Technical Services, said he was satisfied that Parkers generally carried out repairs properly.