Unfamiliarity breeds curtailment
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• Unfamiliarity with licensing requirements was a main factor when a Sheffield father and son coal and general haulage business was penalized under Section 69 by the Yorkshire deputy LA last week. As a result of unsatisfactory maintenance and the failure to keep appropriate records the licence of Mr L. Bradbury and his son Mr D. Bradbury, specifying four vehicles and authorizing one to be acquired was curtailed by the removal of the margin and one of the four vehicles in possession.
An examiner, Mr A. Holmeshaw, told the deputy LA, Mr M. (3osnay, that the firm was at the time of his inquiry only operating three vehicles, two of which were inspected at the roadside outside the home of the Bradburys, and the third at the Sheffield hgv testing station on April 15, The two vehicles examined at the roadside were found to have only minor defects but the third did not appear to have been regularly maintained and a delayed GV9 was issued. . Mr Holmeshaw went on to say that although adequate tools and equipment were available the only covered accommodation was an open-fronted shed. Most of the maintenance work was carried out on a tarmacadam area surrounding the house by Mr D Bradbury who claimed to be a skilled fitter. No records of preventive maintenance could be produced.
Mr D. Bradbury said that an application had been made to the local authorities for permission to construct suitable accommodation but this had been refused. Since then arrangements had been made to rent or purchase part of the field adjoining the house. An area of this would be concreted and suitable premises erected.
Asked by the LA why no maintenenace records had been produced at the time of the inspections Mr Bradbury said that he was unfamiliar with licensing requirements. Since the visit, however. a new system of recording vehicle maintenance using RHA records had been introduced. He went on to say that as he had served a five-year apprenticeship as a mechanic with the National Coal Board he was quite competent to carry out the necessary maintenance work.