1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176 
John Barrie licence curtailed to 30
Page 48
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• The licence of John Barrie (Contractors) Ltd of Glasgow authorizing 108 vehicles was curtailed by the Scottish LA last week to 30 vehicles and 17 trailers following the issue of 10 immediate and 13 delayed prohibitions since May.
Mr Alex Birnie, the LA, was most concerned over the offences committed by the company which was represented by Mr R. McKenzie. Mr Stewart Graham, examiner, told the court that he had inspected 11 vehicles and six trailers, and issued six immediate and two delayed prohibitions. He was concerned at the lack of continuity of records for two vehicles, both prohibited. The firm had a fleet of 32 vehicles and 14 trailers: workshop facilities and staff were adequate.
Mr McKenzie spoke of fire and vandalism at the firm's premises, as a result of which records had been strewn around. The site was in a demolition area and the firm employed a fleet engineer, three mechanics and a few other tradesmen.
Questioned by Mr McKenzie, Mr Graham said he found that no action had been taken on one vehicle which he had examined the previous day. The LA regretted having people before him on such a charge and he asked the examiner what recommendations he could give such firms.
Mr Graham called for a more thorough examination of vehicles and an inspection before they went on the road.. He referred specifically to local small vans on delivery work which did a lot of stopping and starting.
Replying to his representative, Mr James Barrie, managing director, admitted he had a licence for 108 vehicles, but was suprised to learn he had so many GV9s. He had been improving the situation. He told the court that his ground at Parnell Street had been sold but was so far unoccupied. It was mostly open ground and had been over-run by vandals, vehicles having been damaged.
A break-in at the building where records were kept resulted in the loss of some, but now records were stored in new offices. He admitted that record-keeping was not a "mechanic's forte-. This job was now taken over by a girl who was proving efficient. He also admitted difficulty in finding suitable labour, but the position was improving.
He also agreed that 10 GV9s had been received in the past few months, two of which were immediate prohibitions as from last month.
Ten immediate and 13 delayed prohibitions since May was a most unsatisfactory situation, declared Mr Birnie. But Mr Barrie said that since then he had been steadily improving the position. He would like to see his vehicles as an advertisement for the firm. He was now using 33 vehicles and 17 trailers.
Mr •McKenzie explained that the firm was held in high esteem over the years, but was now a much smaller business. Their premises were on the canal bank, north of the city and were prone to vandalism in a district of demolition work. He added that the firm had trouble over their Irish traffic, but all vehicles were in the control of Glasgow drivers.
After a short adjournment, the LA said he found it very distressing to have any firm up before him on such a charge and particularly this company. He was also concerned about the quality of inspections mentioned by the examiner. He did, however, take cognisance of vandalism at the firm's premises. But it was his duty to the public to take action on this matter.
He curtailed the licence to 30 vehicles and 17 trailers as from midnight on October 13. He hoped there would be an application within six months for an increase in the number of vehicles and a report of improved conditions.