Better maintenance is the key
Page 16
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• North Eastern deputy Licensing Authority Norman Moody is set to issue a firm with a 12 months operator's licence despite an objection from the Road Haulage Association — but only if it can produce a satisfactory maintenance contract within the next month.
The RHA had contested an application by John and Mavis Thompson, trading as Skelton Farm Produce of Saltbum-BySea, on the grounds of John Thompson's fitness to hold a licence (CM, June 21).
Moody has indicated he will grant a licence for the two vehicles in possession but not for the four vehicles and one trailer applied for.
He added that additional financial evidence and a satisfactory maintenance contract which he had asked the firm to
produce had not been forthcoming. He also accepted that failure to meet debts on the liquidation of A&R Thompson (Cleveland) and the operation of three vehicles when Skelton Farm's interim licence only authorised two was not a nice record. Moody, however, was not prepared to say that John Thompson was not of good repute.
In the short term he felt that the fit-in could finance the operation of two vehicles for one year but no more. He could not look further ahead than a year as long-term liabilities that Thompson had admitted could fall in on him at any time.
The case was adjourned for one month to give the firm an opportunity of producing a satisfactory maintenance schedule; Moody concluded that they could not be allowed to continue to operate indefinitely under an interim
licence.