ce-Cream firm's
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rehicles HAULAGE APPLICATI ONS
uspended
IF the five operators who appeared Jbefore the West Midland Licensing uthority, Mr. J. Else on Monday for conJeration of revocation or suspension of eir licences for bad maintenance, only ie was penalized. The remainder were )1e to convince him that the steps taken improve their standard of maintenance ould ensure no repetition of the offences. However, Catalano and Co. Ltd., an e-cream manufacturing and sales firm of iudley had two vehicles suspended for tree weeks. Mr. Else said that during an ispection last year, the firm's entire fleet
I' eight were prohibited, two of them nmediately. His office sent a warning tter-but when a further inspection was arried out in May this year the whole eet was again issued with GV9's, six of lem immediate.
Mr. Catalano told the inquiry that at le time the fleet inspections were carried ut there were two other directors in the rm and he was not directly responsible )r maintenance. Since then he had bought iem out and had now taken over personal nponsibility for maintenance himself and /as checking the vehicles once a month. 'he fleet had been reduced to five.
Ministry vehicle examiner Mr. C. treese told the inquiry of a strange coinidence concerning a vehicle belonging to ,unt, Comley and Pitt Ltd., coal factors if Pensnett, Brierley Hill, which was issued vith an • immediate GV9. In July, the ehicle was stopped at a road side check .nd examination revealed 11 defects, inRiding a useless handbrake and an axleetaining bolt missing. By chance, he had xamined the same lorry at the same spot me month previously and had found it to )e in a satisfactory condition, so the 'aults had developed in the intervening )eriod.
Mr. W. Godridge, transport manager af John M. Wall who have a 57-vehicle leet based at West Bromwich of which the rehicle in question was a member, said it lad been extensively overhauled in May. :ts time was roughly divided between runs 'rom the West Midlands to South Wales and to the East Midlands.
The firm's vehicles were not checked as regularly as he would like because of a shortage of workshop space. However, new premises, a former car factory in West Bromwich with 19,500 sq. ft. of space, had been acquired and a move would be made in the very near future. Two additional mechanics were now being employed, giving a total maintenance staff of ave.
Also warned were: C. F. Paddock (Haulage) Ltd., of Ellesmere; Bruce's Banquet Products (Birmingham) Ltd.; and Cannock Chase Motor Services Ltd., of Brownhills.