Renewal postponed—as penalty
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ABRISTOL haulage contractor who had prohibition orders issued against him in respect of some of his vehicles had since taken disciplinary action against himself and reduced his fleet from 32 vehicles to 26, an LA was told last week.
Mr. Stanley Honeyfield, director of S. J. Honeyfield Ltd., haulage contractors for 37 years, was before the Western Licensing Authority sitting in Bristol, for renewal of B licences and also for the LA, Mr. J. R. C. Samuel-Gibbon, to consider giving a direction under section 178 of the Road Traffic Act.
After hearing that the firm had made considerable efforts to implement a regular systematic maintenance system, the LA made no direction, but postponed, as a penalty, renewal of the B licences for one year.
Mr. Honeyfield questioned by his counsel, Mr. T. D. Corpe, said he had given up longdistance work, with the exception of haulage for Bristol Aeroplane Co., to exercise proper control over his vehicles. A substantial sum had been spent maintaining his vehicles since the Ministry checks. Scrap metal merchants, W. F. Manthorp and Co. Ltd., Bristol, who also appeared before the LA for him to consider a direction under section 178 after infringements concerning over-loading, drivers' records and defects on vehicles, had one vehicle deleted from its C licence.
Mr. Corpe, appearing for the company, said Manthorps was a most reputable firm of scrap metal merchants, holders of a C licence for 15 years. It had not been in any trouble with the Authority before.
As the LA would appreciate, the vehicles were perhaps subjected to more stress and strain than in other types of haulage because the lorries were loaded by a giant magnet.
Mr. Corpe went on: "We admit, and regret, the maintenance of these vehicles was not what it should have been. The trouble was a fitter who had to be dismissed because of inefficiency and incompetence. Since his discharge, all the necessary maintenance and repair work is being carried out by local garages".
Manthorps had reduced its fleet by half and now had five vehicles.