KEEN SAYS 'UNSAFE' VEHICLES WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN USED
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A COMPANY which claimed that its vehicles would not be used on the public highway in an unsafe condition has avoided a Section 178 penalty.
W. and J. Keen and Sons, of Essex, told Metropolitan LA Mr. D. I. R. Muir that four of five GV9s were issued for vehicles not in use. Mr. M. Jackson-Lipkin for Keen, submitted that only one GV9 should be considered (CM, August 25).
In a written decision issued this week Mr. Muir states: "All the prohibitions were imposed on vehicles standing on the premises and I must give the benefit of the doubt to the corn
pany which claims that they would not have been used on public roads in the condition in which they were found."
Mr. Muir had reached his decision "reluctantly" because he was far from satisfied with Keen's maintenance system.
He referred to a penalty imposed by him three months ago on Keen when due to a loophole in the law the effect of the penalty was substantially reduced. The LA then suspended six B-licensed vehicles for two months but Keen increased its C-licensed vehicles by a similar number.