SPOT CHECKS TAKE-OVER
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THE ANNUAL pre-arranged examination of specially prepared buses and coaches has been stopped in the NorthWestern Traffic Area, Emphasis is now being placed on spot checks so every vehicle is seen at least once a year either straight from the road or at the operators premises.
This has led to an increase of 38 per cent in the number of spot inspections. Nine per cent of vehicles so examined in the year leading up to March 31, 1976 were found to be unfit and had their psv licence suspended.
These figures have been revealed in the Annual Reports of the Traffic Commissioners for 1975-76 just published by the Department of Transport. Inspections averaged 2.5 per vehicle, but half of these were to clear defects recorded at a previous examination. All defective vehicles examined in the area are now issued with suspension notices which have to be cleared. This is instead of relying on an informal arrangement with the opera tor to have the defects rectified.
Vehicles in the worst condition were often found with operators in the public sector. "In one fleet check at a depot of a large operator in this category, no less than eight vehicles out of ten inspected were found to be seriously defective," said the Commissioners.