Shamrock school bus fleet banned
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• A South Wales coach operator had his fleet of six vehicles banned by the Traffic Commissioners at Cardiff on Wednesday when Mr Patrick James Dolan, proprietor of Shamrock Private Hire Service Ltd, Commercial Street, Newport, Mon., appeared to show cause under Section 127 of the Road Traffic Act and Section 35 of the Transport Act.
Postponing the revocation order until July 16 so as not to interfere with school services, the chairman, Mr Ronald Jackson, said Mr Dolan had been warned previously about his maintenance. Inspection sheets produced by the service garage showed many items which had been notified but no indication that the defects had been rectified.
"The Commissioners have no hesitation in revoking the public service vehicle licence of all the vehicles held by Mr Dolan," said the chairman. "We wonder if the people who wrote letters expressing their satisfaction with his service would have done so in the same terms if they had known the condition of these vehicles used to carry children." The Commissioners did not accept the implication made by Mr Dolan that the vehicle examiners were carrying on a vendetta against him.
Mr R. S. Chard, clerk to the Commissioners, said Mr Dolan appeared before them in June 1966 when they revoked his licence in respect of four vehicles. He appeared again in December 1970 and the Commissioners, having heard he had entered into a contract with a garage, gave him another chance. No penalty was imposed, but Mr Dolan was directed to send in the inspection records within 48 hours of the inspection being carried out. None of those records had been produced.
Examination of 'his fleet in March this year resulted in four out of six vehicles being immediately suspended. The thrust bearing in one stub axle assembly was found to be in pieces but Mr Dolan insisted that it could have gone on for a few more days.
Giving evidence, Mr Dolan said that he did not understand the directive about sending inspection records to the Commissioners. He had now forgotten to bring them with him. He had spent more than £1500 with Newport (Mon) Motors since December and £300 with another garage. He could not account for the defects and commented: "I think the examiners are a bit too keen on me."
Mr Robert Evans, Newport (Mon) Motors, service manager, said he had contracted to inspect the vehicles every 4000 miles or every six weeks. Out of 21 inspections, however, they had been able to carry out only seven.
Mr Rosser John, for Mr Dolan, produced letters from satisfied customers, including the education authority, and said that if Mr Dolan's licence was revoked it would be a serious matter for him as a married man with three children and a serious inconvenience to children travelling to school.