Year's grace for Drakemire
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• Scottish Licensing Authority Hugh McNamara has given Glasgow-based Drakemire Dairy and associate company Drakemire Health Foods, a year in which to show whether they can maintain their vehicles properly.
Drakemire Dairy had sought to renew its eight-vehicle licence, while Drakemire Health Foods was seeking a new fourvehicle licence.
Senior vehicle examiner George McCallum said Drakemire Dairy had been sent a warning letter following the imposition of an immediate prohibition endorsed "neglect" in March 1987.
Four vehicles were examined during a maintenance investigation in April, two being given immediate prohibi tions, one of which was endorsed "neglect". The records revealed intervals of up to 11 months between inspections.
In July a vehicle was given an immediate prohibition endorsed "neglect" during a roadside check.
For the two companies, Michael Whiteford said the system now was for the vehicles to be inspected by an outside agency.
The company's own mechanic would then carry out any repairs at the agency's premises, and the agency would then certify the vehicle fit for the road. In addition to this, an agreement had been made for the Freight Transport Association to carry out six audit inspections each year.
Admitting that he had con centrated too much on sales and marketing in the past, relying on others to manage the transport, director Douglas Edmunds said he had now appointed a sales and marketing manager and had assumed personal control of the transport side himself.
After McNamara had said that a vehicle had been allowed to go out with defective brakes, a vehicle not even authorised on the licence, Edmunds said that his whole attitude had changed. He had been profoundly shocked by the public inquiry.
When someone was building a business they did not appreciate these things until someone like the licensing authority "knocked them over the head" he said.