'Devious plot' allegations put to commissioners
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A "DEVIOUS PLOThas been hatched to damage the reputation of George Day's Heart of England Tours company, Traffic Commissioners' heard last week.
Counsel Michael Carless said this when the company sought four extra vehicles for its eight-vehicle operator licence and was called before the West Midland Traffic Commissioners for consideration of disdiplinary action against the company.
The hearing has been adjourned until November 11, giving Day time to present more evidence of his maintenance standards.
Evidence was given by vehicle examiners of prohi bition notices placed on vehicles at the Balsall Common School, after a check had been carried out at the request of the West Midlands police.
They also said the company's Water Orton premises are unsatisfactory following a disastrous fire last July.
The examiners claim that they have been verbally har massed by Day and that he had refused to produce vehicles for examination.
Carless claimed that Day had taken steps to make temporary arrangements to try to meet his obligations as an operator after the fire, yet was being hounded.
Day said he had been very upset at the time. He had fought long and hard to get licences to operate stage services and someone was trying to pre-empt the Commissioners' decision to grant his company licences.
He claimed that one vehicle needed to have an engine changed as a result of damage caused by an examiner undertaking a smoke test.
He had switched the engine of another vehicle off when the same examiner revved the engine until it was screaming to try to produce smoke at any cost.
lie felt that complaints made about the condition of the company's vehicles were unjustified and had been prompted by leaflets distributed on West Midland FIE buses.