Brothers told to take MoT
Page 20
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Three vehicles operated by Barry-based dairymen Bernard and John Hawken will be suspended from their licence unless they pass an MoT test before the end of June. South Wales LA John Mervyn Pugh has also cut the duration of their licence to expire at the end of the year instead of in 1992,
The partners, who hold a licence for six vehicles and four trailers, were called before the LA at a Cardiff public inquiry after maintenance problems at the end of last year.
Bernard Hawken said that the problems had arisen after their father retired and left them without an operating centre. They acquired a yard last July but the maintenance had been thrown into turmoil, resulting in two immediate prohibition notices. They decided to use an outside contractor but it took some months to arrange this.
The contractor's manager acknowledged that there had been problems with a fitter responsible for the inspection of the Hawken vehicles, and that was why they were now in trouble. The situation had been rectified and the Hawken vehicles were now receiving weekly safety checks.
Mervyn Pugh said that the Hawkens were to be commended for the steps they had taken so far. If they introduced the system of maintenance recommended in South Wales, which had been tested and proved to work, they should have no further problems.
Ii