Replacement no substitute for preventive maintenance
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• "It will be impossible to continue with two-thirds of our fleet and it will mean that unless we can deliver the goods we will have to get rid of about 50 staff," said Mr Frank Webster, secretary of Patri Ltd, soft drinks manufacturer, when five of his vehicles were suspended under a Section 69 inquiry for three months by the South Wales LA, Mr R. R. Jackson, at Cardiff on Wednesday. A fleet inspection will be held in six months time.
The LA told Mr Webster that in view of his remarks he was prepared to direct that the suspensions would not become effective until such time as an appeal had-been made to the Transport Tribunal.
Mr Webster said that most of the complaints, including two immediate and seven delayed prohibition notices, concerned tyre defects. Every two weeks a tyre company inspected his fleet and had authority to renew tyres as necessary. "In these circumstances I don't see what else we could have done," he said. Many of the items listed on the delayed GV9s he considered minor faults.
Mr Webster said they had been operating for 12 years and they had never had a serious accident. "In view of a letter from the LA last month we are now renewing our vehicles every three years instead of five," he added. "We have bought four quite recently and are about to place an order for another six."
Mr Jackson said that when he had granted the Patri application in March 1970, one undertaking was that arrangements would be made to keep the vehicles roadworthy at all times. "It is apparent these undertakings have not been correctly carried out," he said. "Replacing the vehicles is not the answer. Whether they are new or old vehicles there is no substitute for preventive maintenance."