One year only for Yelloway
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• Yelloway Motor Services has appeared before disciplinary proceedings with maintenance problems for the second time in 12 months.
Its licence has been renewed for one year only and the number of vehicles allowed cut from 35 to 30.
The Rochdale-based PSV operator is part of ATL Holdings, run by Yorkshire operator Tony Lavin who last week bought Crosville Motor Services from the National Bus Company, along with its 1,169 employees, 470 vehicles and nine depots throughout north west England. ATL also runs SUT in Sheffield.
The group's record in Rochdale is poor and last May Yelloway had its licence slashed by nearly a third from 50 to 35 vehicles over maintenance problems. It was then banned from registering any new local bus services.
Evidence was given by the Vehicle Inspectorate that a follow-up investigation at the company's Rochdale premises in February 1988 resulted in 70% of the vehicles receiving immediate prohibitions and a further 10% getting prohibitions. The maintenance records indicated that only serious defects were being rectified.
A number of vehicles had been prepared for examination but still attracted prohibitions, said the inspector, and a number of vehicles were refused clearance on re-examination. There was intense pressure from the traffic department for vehicles to be put into service — some being required for duty 24 hours a day. Since 1983 a total of 74 prohibitions had been imposed on the company's vehicles.
Lavin said the general manager and fleet engineer appointed after the previous public inquiry had been dismissed. Most of the company's all-night services had ceased and the fleet had been substantially reduced by taking away the coaches and the express service work.
The group as a whole was profitable, although Yelloway had not been in the black since it had been taken over, said Lavin, and he felt that it had a good chance of turning the company round.
The traffic manager and fleet engineer at Rochdale now reported directly to Lavin, new vehicles were being introduced into the fleet and the company was currently negotiating to buy new premises.
Fleet engineer Philip Holmes said the system of servicing and inspection had been altered and the inspection records were being revised.