Not where but how vital in maintenance
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AS LONG as an operator had the ability to maintain his vehicles it did not much matter where he carried out the operation.
So said East Midlands Licensing Authority Cecil Sheridan at Nottingham last week when hearing an application by Oliver Hart, trading as Derbyshire Transport Services to renew his standard national licence for two vehicles and three trailers.
Mr Hart of Allestree, Derby, had applied to keep his vehicles at the premises of RolIon Transport, of Long Eaton. But vehicle
.examiner Robert Dingle said that although Mr Hart had claimed at various times to be operating from Rollon's premises, he did not always appear to be doing so. A further problem was that the principal director of RolIon had died and the future of the company was uncertain.
Much of his work was on behalf of Dixons Transport and he had full permission to use its workshop which he did on occasions. He also undertook some contract work for E. A. West of Derby and occasionally parked his vehicle there.
After Mr Dingle commented that Mr Hart did not have a regular maintenance •base and that he operated one vehicle and one trailer by depending on other people's facilities, Mr Sheridan said there was nothing wrong with that.
Mr Dingle then agreed it matters little where Mr Hart maintained the vehicle as long as he did not do so at the side of the road. Granting renewal, Mr Sheridan said he could see no reason why he should not do so. There had been no blemishes on Mr Hart's maintenance history since 1971, and clearly his method of operation was not leading to vehicles unfit for the road. He advised Mr Hart to keep the vehicle examiner informed of his locations.