Bad news for Good News
Page 18
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• Maintenance problems led North Eastern Traffic Commissioner Frederick Whalley to refuse to grant authority to Hull-based Phillip and Raymond Hunter, trading as Good News Travel, for the operation of additional public service vehicles.
In addition to refusing the firm's application to increase its authorisation from 12 to 16 vehicles, the Commissioner has cut the duration of the company's licence so that it now expires in July 1990, and imposed a condition prohibiting the registering of any more local services.
Vehicle examiner Paul Rusk said that during a fleet check in March he issued five prohibition notices, four of which were of immediate effect, and nine defect notices, after examining nine vehicles. He felt the problem was that a hoist in the workshop could not accommodate double-deckers, and a second hoist outside was open to the elements. He also felt that the person carrying out the inspections had too much work to do.
Phillip Hunter said the outside hoist had been installed because the company recognised there were problems over height with the one in the workshop. It would not object to covering in the second hoist but would require planning permission.
Six regular services were being operated in March. However, that operation had since been cut back.
The company had made complaints to the Office of Fair Trading and was participating in an official investigation into the running of bus services in Hull. It had been evicted from the bus station by the local authority. However, that decision had now been withdrawn because of the level of use. One of the two fitters had been replaced since the March fleet inspection.
For the firm, John Backhouse said the situation had been improved, and overall the firm's record was not bad.