1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196 
Ferrymasters have to wait
Page 71
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Ferrymasters Ltd. will have to wait for the decision on its A licence application for eight arts, completed in Preston last week. The case was heard by the North Western deputy LA. Mr. A. H. Jolliffe, and was a continued hearing (CM June 27). There were eight objectors.
Mr. J. van Schijndel, director of Ferrymasters Holland N.V., explained that in a "Continent—Ireland" service his company would collect the complete payment and pay Ferrymastqs Ltd. for the British haul. As he was responsible for the complete journey he did not like to use subcontractors.
The operations manager of Ferrymasters Ltd., Mr. R. S. Green, said that all the vehicles which had been granted at Harwich, Hull and Felixstowe were now taken up but another four granted at Grimsby were not on the road yet. Seven vehicles at Preston would go back to their previous base if the application was granted.
Two customer witnesses were called in support of the application. Mr. G. R. Carter, assistant distribution manager of ICI (Fibres) Ltd., said that if the Ferrymasters ICI traffic in 1967 was taken as an index of 100 the 1968 figure was 190 and the 1969 was 220. Mr. P. Sorsby of Tinsley Wire Industries Ltd., Sheffield, said his North West traffic had grown 25 per cent in the last year and at least four Ferrymasters' containers worked for him every week.
The first of the objectors, Mr. P. S. Cross of Link Line Ltd., Liverpool, said that his company had lost traffic to Ferrymasters. In order to compete, Mr. Cross said, he would need to make a substantial reduction in rate. He produced figures of availability.
Mr. E. M. Hains, director of the applicant company, said that a haulier with such a number of vehicles idle could not quote a competitive rate. Mr. Cross replied that this fleet position was not general.
The managing director of the Liverpool and Preston depots of Ulster Ferry Transport Ltd., Mr. E. Theaker, said his company had lost traffic to Ferrymasters. In May 1968 they had earned £6,767 from Heinz Ltd. while in May 1969 it was only £2,343.
Mr. 12; G. Davis, managing director of Containerway and Roadferry Ltd., said that the growth rate of traffic with Ireland was becoming static. It would be about four years. he thought, before there would be much more growth. The arrival of Ferrymasters had meant traific being extracted from existing hauliers.
Summing up, Mr. Lawton, counsel for one of the objectors, said in his view the sole concern of Ferrymasters was to "carve themselves a corner of Irish traffic." It had set up a substantial haulage operation in Preston by bringing vehicles from another area. These were not grounds for a grant.
Mr. Backhouse, counsel for seven objectors, said the application as entered was misleading and technically incorrect. The purpose of the application was to add seven vehicles at Felixstowe without justifying them. Ferrymasters must not be allowed to get away with this, said Mr. Backhouse. In addition, no evidence of need had been established.