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4th October 1968, Page 29
4th October 1968
Page 29
Page 29, 4th October 1968 — Ipswich, Suffolk
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by Ron Cater • The first official test day at the Ipswich testing station (the first one to be opened in England, with 871 voluntary tests under its belt) got off to a slow start and if anybody was expecting a run of failures he was in for a disappointment. There were only seven vehicles booked for the test on Monday and the first of these, a 7-ton Austin, arrived on the scene sharp at 9 a.m. It passed through all the tests without trouble although there were 72,000 miles showing on its speedometer. It was significant that this vehicle had been handled by one driver since new.

It was followed at 9.30 by a second BMC, this time a 1967 Morris 5-ton 503 series III 5K. Although this vehicle passed through the test procedure, by virtue of its tyre size (it was on 7.50-20 10-ply) its plated weight was reduced to 1 cwt. lower than its design weight of 9 tons. It appeared that the operator had been aware that this would happen.

With this vehicle clear of the centre nothing more happened until 11.05 a.m. when an operator enquired by telephone from Southend for details of the voluntary testing of vehicles which was being carried out. He obviously knew nothing about the tests in general and that they were now a legal requirement. He is fortunate in that his machines were built in 1963 and so he has some leeway.

At 11.25 a.m. a second operator rang up from Bury St. Edmunds with exactly the same query, but as his vehicles were of 1960 vintage his period of grace is not quite so long.

Mr. S. G. Harris, area mechanical engineer, was in attendance to greet the Mayor of Ipswich, Alderman 0. S. Nunn, himself a transport man—he is director in charge of the East Anglian Daily Times transport company. Mr. Harris thought it likely that a considerable back-log will have built up by the end of the period, and the testing stations may not be able to clear this and the re-tests which may be needed. He advises operators to apply as early as possible to get their vehicles tested.

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Locations: Austin, Ipswich

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