Ball bounces back at inquiry
Page 15
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• West Midland LA John Mervyn Pugh granted Hereford-based Ball of Madley a licence renewal for the full five years when the company appeared before him at its eighth public inquiry in nine years. The international licence authorises eight vehicles and two trailers.
For the company, Michael Carless said some of the problems had been caused by a fire at the company's base last year which had destroyed some of its maintenance records.
Mervyn Pugh commented that no prohibition notices had been issued since the company's last appearance before him.
Director Michael Ball said that his youngest son James was coming into the business and would take over the paperwork. He had made James a director and he was taking some of the responsibility off his shoulders. They were trying to get their act together.
The LA said he had recently noticed one of the company's vehicles travelling remarkably slowly on the M50. He wanted the company to take a special look at that vehicle.
Ball said a new driver had been driving the vehicle and perhaps he had been a bit wary, Granting the renewal, Mervyn Pugh pointed out that the company had had problems with maintenance over the years and had been to seven previous public inquiries in 1986, twice in 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, and 1994. He felt that the time had come for him to say to Ball: "Have your licence and don't let me see you again." Ball must understand the importance of the paperwork and had got to get it through to his drivers that their jobs and the company's licence were on the line. It would be nothing short of tragic if the company collected more prohibitions between now and the advent of continuous licensing.