West Mid LA puts owner-driver out of business
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• A Birmingham owner-operator was put out of business last week when Mr John Else, the West Midland LA, revoked his operator's licence under Section 69 of the Transport Act 1968.
The operator, Mr J. Ritchie, of Birmingham, who held a licence authorizing two vehicles of which one was specified, had been called to the inquiry following several magistrates' convictions and a fleet examination at which his vehicle was issued with a prohibition notice.
The court heard that on September 28 1970 Mr Ritchie was convicted for overloading and fined ,E5 at Redditch magistrates' court and on November 5 1970 fined i15 after being found guilty of three charges of overloading at the same court.
Mr Albert Piers, a DoE vehicle examiner, told the LA that on March 22 of this year he examined the vehicle and its preventive maintenance arrangements. The vehicle was found to be in a poor condition and consequently a GV9 was issued. No maintenance records were produced at this time and the accommodation available to the vehicle was very small. Mr Piers added that he was told that there was a verbal agreement with a local garage, E. J. Brown
and Sons, to carry out repair work but he felt that the condition of the vehicle was not consistent with one which had undergone regular preventive maintenance.
Representing Mr Ritchie. Mr D. E. Skelding said that in future Mr Ritchie intended to keep proper maintenance records and would ensure that his vehicle was always in a roadworthy condition.
On revoking the licence, the LA said that if Mr Ritchie was prepared to maintain his vehicles to the standard required by 0-licensing legislations and keep the appropriate records there was no reason why any further application should not be granted.