Standing vehicles should be inspected
Page 19
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COMMERCIAL vehicles standing in depots and out of use ought to have at least a monthly check, a senior vehicle examiner told the West Midland deputy Licensing Authority, Mn. Shuffiebothom, at Birmingham last week.
The examiner, Mr B. G. Keyes, also criticized operators who failed to show mileages on inspection sheets and said this was particularly prevalent among those who carried out inspections on a time basis.
Two associated Evesham companies, Shephard and Hough Ltd and Shephard and Hough (Worcester) Ltd, were before the deputy for failure to fulfil statements of intention concerning vehicle maintenance.
hi May, a vehicle belonging to Shephard and Hough received an immediate prohibition in the Western 'traffic area and a visit by a vehicle examiner followed.
Mr Keyes. said that examination of the records showed the last inspection for this vehicle was in February, 14 weeks previously. The maintenance for both companies was carried out at Whittington, 12 miles away, on the site of the derelict Norton brickworks where he was not impressed by the facilities.
Shephard and Hough were asked to produce five vehicles but only one was seen and received a delayed prohibition. The others were said to have been sold or scrapped.
Mr G. W. Stone, a vehicle examiner who inspected Shephard and Hough (Worcester) vehicles, said he was told six were specified. Two were said to be off the road for some time and of the remaining,two, one received a delayed prohibition and a defect notice was issued against the other.
Mr J. P. Shephard, managing director, said the 17-vehicle operating fleet had been reduced to eight, four with each company, carrying fruit and vegetables to markets in South Wales and Birmingham. The vehicle which received the immediate prohibition had done little work between February and May and, in 1968, he had been told by a vehicle exam iner, that inspections every three months would hi satisfactory. Since June monthly inspection had beer started.
Contending the existing facilities were adequate, Mr Shephard said there were two skilled and one semi-skilled fitters for the eight vehicles. He planned to develop the 24-acre site at Norton as a small industrial estate but had not yet got planning permission.
Reducing the licence authorization to four for each company, the deputy LA said the facilitie5 were not adequate for more.