'Park off roads at night' DLA
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A CONDITION that "no vehicle must be parked overnight on the public highway, unless it is closed to other traffic," has been imposed on the licence held by George Taylor Plant Hire Ltd, of Wolverhampton, by the West Midland Deputy Licensing Authority, J. Shufflebotham.
The company had applied to renew its licence, which specified 38 vehicles with 14 to be acquired.
Mr Shufflebotham said the company had said vehicles were kept on the public highway at various addresses and planning permission was not applicable. It would seem that the company's vehicles were being parked all over the place.
Large premises
• Roy Taylor, plant and transport manager, said the company had large premises of its own where some vehicles were parked.
But it was engaged on contracts all over the country for the Post Office and it would not be practical to bring all the vehicles back to base each night. They were often parked in Post Office compounds, but it was sometimes difficult to find off-street parking.
After Mr Shufflebotham had commented that the company's managing director had said they were being parked on the public highway, Mr Taylor said he had probably meant they worked on sites on the public highway.
Mr Shufflebotham said vehicles parked on the highway were a danger to other road users, a nuisance to local residents and a security risk for the operator.
Asked whether the company could comply with a restrictive condition, Mr Taylor said it was very difficult to find parking facilities in rural areas.
The DLA said it was a problem that had to be overcome and it was open to the company to say to the Post Office that it should provide it with parking facilities for its vehicles.
Mr Taylor said that would mean the loss of the contract because competition was fierce.
Mr Shufflebotham warned that a failure to abide by the condition would result in the company's licence being in jeopardy.