School bus operator keeps his licence
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A COACH OPERATOR fro-m Shepton Mallet appearing in connection with offences under Section 127 (7) of the Road Traffic Act, escaped having his licence revoked, curtailed, or suspended when he appeared before the Western Traffic Commissioners at Bristol last week.
S.S. and B.E. Smith of Pylle, a company with six 3SV licences, had attracted ;even suspension notices )etween August 1971 and February 1974. The company is engaged in contract work involving the carriage of schoolchildren and factory workers.
Mr H. Hartley, vehicle examiner, said he visited the company's premises on two occasions during 1973 and made reports On three vehicles. He had told the transport manager, Mr S. Smith,that records should be kept and some minor maintenance details should be dealt with. Mr Smith had told him he had some old Maintenance record sheets that could be amended to suit his vehicles.
Two examinations were made on the fleet in January 1974 and one one occasion an immediate prohibition was issued to one vehicle. Ten days later the same vehicle was issued with a delayed prohibition. There were also two suspension notices on vehicles, one in December 1973 and the other in February 1974.
Appearing for the corn pany, Mr T. G. Pollard said that the company was now keeping maintenance records and the vehicles were inspected at intervals of one month or 1,000 miles.
Making no direction against the company the chairman of the Commissioners, Sir John Potter, said that they had looked at the matter very carefully and had noted what had been done to put things right. The chairman stressed that the public were entitled to travel in well maintained vehicles.