Co-op 27-vehicle fleet got 22 prohibitions
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• Another North Eastern Co-operative delivery fleet came under the disciplinary hammer of the Northern Licensing Authority, Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon, in Durham on Monday. Crook Co-operative Society Ltd. were called to a Section 178 inquiry following inspections in November and January and the issuing of 22 GV9s on their 27-vehicle C-licence fleet.
Their general manager, Mr. D. H. Carr, said that the vehicles averaged only 40/50 miles a week in a sparsely populated area where many relied wholly upon their mobile shops. Two full-titne mechanics had been left to handle the maintenance and it was only when three vehicles were inspected in November and two received prohibitions that he realized the state of affairs.
Early in December the Society appointed Mr. Leonard, who is manager of Croft Garage, a commercial garage owned by the Society, as transport manager and gave him responsibility for the fleet's maintenance.
Mr. Hanlon noted the fleet was accidentfree but due to the very bad condition of the vehicles, he felt it would be wrong for him to dismiss the matter. He suspended two vehicles for one month.
At the same inquiry, the LA suspended one of two vehicles on the C-licence of William Blakey, Durham, for one month.. He also holds a two-vehicle B licence. On October 12 last year an Austin had been found "in a terrible condition" and a GV9 issued. A second had been prohibited in November and a third in January.
Having been advised by Mr. Hanlon to consolidate the conditions of his six vehicles operating under four B licences, Mr. F. C. Horner, Howden-le-Wear, submitted a variation application to the Road Haulage Association, who advised him that if he intended to sell some of the vehicles shortly afterwards, it might be thought that he was trying to profiteer on the licence, he told the inquiry.
The application had been made to coincide with one of the licence renewals and this resulted in the renewal being overlooked. It was not within his power, said Mr. Hanlon, to grant the renewal as the application had been invalidated by the sale of one of the vehicles. Thus Homer's fleet will be reduced by two.
The LA granted the renewal of one other one-vehicle licence and, referring to the three GV9s Horner had received, warned of licence revocation if the business was neglected again.
Licensing objectors: which unions?
• The Ministry of Transport has pointed out that the Minister will name those trade unions which she proposes should have the right of objection to an operator's licence ("Looking at licensing", CM March 15). It is expected that this regulation will come before the Transport Bill Committee in the next few weeks.