'A bit of a fright' was what
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this C-licensee needed
METROPOLITAN LA Mr. D. I. R. Muir warned two Clicensees on Wednesday that he could have imposed penalties on the evidence of the prohibition before him under Section 178.
Fancy Wood Product Ltd., furniture manufacturer, had received two immediate and two delayed prohibitions on its fleet of eight vehicles and four trailers, operating from Kimpton, Herts.
For the company, Mr. R. Simpson, explained that the first vehicle to receive an immediate GV9—a tipper—had reached the end of its working life and the company had not spent any money on its maintenance since January. It has been sold and replaced by another vehicle which had been passed by a Ministry examiner as being in good working order.
The other vehicle which had received an immediate prohibition was an Austin tractive unit which, said Mr. Simpson, was not in a dangerous condition since the examiner had allowed it to be driven back to the garage after the notice had been issued. In connection with the delayed prohibitions, sums of £185 6s. and £.134 8s. 8d. had been spent on the two vehicles to bring them up to the required standards.
A new maintenance system had been worked out and a weekly inspection of all vehicles would be undertaken by A. J. Durham, of Peters Green, near Luton, for preventive maintenance. This scheme had been approved by the Ministry examiner. Every Monday the transport manager of Fancy Wood would arrange with Durham as to which vehicle would be going in for in spection.
Vehicles would have an intermediate service every 3,000 miles and a major service every 6,000 miles.
The transport manager, Mr. A. C. Walls, told Mr. Muir that the drivers would continue to have sheets on which to report any defects.
"I hope," said Mr. Muir, "that the company has, to put it colloquially , 'had a bit of a fright' from this." I think this is what they needed as the conducts in respect of these vehicles were reprehensible," he said—he would be justified in inflicting some penalty.
Mr. Muir hoped that the arrangements with the garage would be satisfactory but stressed that if anything went wrong with the vehicle, it was the company's responsi bility. If they were called before him again he would take a very different view.
P. K. Contractors Ltd., based at Billingshurst, Sussex, had received four immediate prohibitions out of nine vehicles inspected. A director of the company, Mr. G. Puzio, told Mr. Muir that it now had only six vehicles operating on C licences. It employed a full-time fitter to maintain them. The vehicles would be checked every second week, he said.
Mr. Muir said he would send an examiner to have a word with the fitter and would wait for the examiner's recommendations before finalizing the matter.