Let's have more snap fleet inspections, says Mr. Else
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THE MINISTRY of Transport generously gives notice of fleet inspections, said West Midland LA Mr. J. Else on Monday. "What surprises me is that defects are found after an operator has been given notice that examiners are coming in to inspect vehicles. This seems to be more than unusual slackness".
Four operators were appearing before him at Birmingham at a Section 178 inquiry.
Mr. Else said he would like to see more snap inspections of vehicles at operators' premises but the MoT was hampered by the limited number of examiners and the fact that hauliers did not usually keep vehicles standing about in yards.
M. H. Law Ltd., of Old Hill, Staffs, which did not appear at the hearing, had received five days' notice of an inspector's visit, following a roadside check of one of its vehicles resulting in an immediate prohibition. Out of its C-licensed fleet of 10 vehicles and three trailers, five vehicles had been examined.
MoT examiner Mr. R. Whitehouse said in evidence that he was told that three of the older vehicles were to be scrapped and two tippers were alleged to have been destroyed, although he was unable to find out how or when this had taken place. The three trailers were used on site work. Of the vehicles he inspected, two had 27 defects, one 23 defects and the other two, which had received delayed GV9s, had only one defect.
Law had a mechanic—a good man who did not seem to get an opportunity to do the work that was needed. There was no regular inspection and maintenance, and records were not kept.
Giving his decision, Mr. Else said that the vehicles which Law said were to be scrapped would be removed from the licence. And as a penalty two vehicles would be removed from the licence for one month from August 1.
Repton Foundry Ltd., of Tipton, had nine vehicles on C licence and during a fleet inspection eight had been examined, the ninth having been sold. Two immediate, one delayed to take effect at midnight, and five delayed prohibitions had been imposed on the vehicles.
The examiner, Mr. D. B. Mortimer, said that in April he found the firm did not employ a mechanic and had no form of regular in spection or preventive maintenance. He agreed with Mr. N. Carless, for Repton, that one vehicle was in the garage under repair and another was used for internal work. Mr. Carless said that these vehicles were to be deleted from the licence.
Mr. C. Mason told the LA that he was in charge of transport matters and that for 12 months before the inspection, drivers had been allowed to come in on Sundays to work on their vehicles. Before this the vehicles had been maintained at the firm's Brierley Hill foundry which had had a full-time mechanic. However, due to pressure of work, the vehicles had been transferred to Tipton— but the mechanic had not. Hammonds and Son Ltd. of West Bromwich, would now inspect the vehicles every 4,000 miles.
Since Repton intended to surrender all its C licences except three and one hiring margin, Mr. Else said he would remove one of those vehicles for two months from August 1. Some punishment was necessary otherwise offenders would be able to apologize without being penalized.
Out of a total of 15 A-, Band C-licensed vehicles operated by Newcombe Bros. Express Carriers Ltd., of Nuneaton, 12 received prohibitions after a fleet inspection in April. Mr. A. F. Beale, depot manager, told Mr. Else that now the firm had two skilled fitters and the vehicles would be inspected every fourth week. Two vehicles had been replaced in 1965; in 1966 the firm had received three second-hand replacements from the parent company, G. W. Woodward Ltd., and due to the recession had only received one vehicle, eight years old, this year.
It had been intimated that three vehicles were to be replaced, said Mr. Else, and he intended to accelerate the process by deleting them from the licence, but he would take no further action for the time being. H. P. Haulage Co., of Black Heath, operated by Mr. H. Plant, Jar., had one vehicle suspended for two months by Mr. Else following inspection of its four B-licensed vehicles and the subsequent imposition of prohibitions on them all.