Undertaking Made 'Under Duress,' L.A. Told
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r was preposterous to suggest that long
lengths of steel that overhang vehicles ould he carried manifestly safer on long:nth trailers, the Northern Licensing ,uthority, Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon said at eweastle upon Tyne last week, unless was said that the Construction and Use egulations should be amended to pre:.t any overhanging.
Mr. Hanlon was hearing applications y Tees-Side Carriers (1963) Ltd., of tockton-on-Tees to substitute longmgth extendible trailers in place of Landard trailers authorized under an licence. The case was the last to be card in the series of long-length steel Nuiries held by Mr. Hanlon, who eserved his decision.
Mr. F. H. Campbell Wardlaw, for -ees-Sidc Carriers, explained. 'that, an pplication had been .made. and .granted I March to transfer all vehicles licensed o Tees-Side Cauriers Ltd. to Tees-Side :arricrs (1963) Ltd.—an entirely new ompany with completely different shareoldines from the old one. At that time t had been a matter of commercial rgency that the vehicles should be transerred on the day of the inquiry rather -Ian embark on lengthy argument as to (healer or not the Company should be tithorized to operate extendible trailers
its possession. For this reason, said 4r. Wardlaw, an undertaking was given ot to operate them in their extended turn, and also that a further application would be made to operate extendible trailers.
Giving evidence, Mr, J. A. McCusker, manager of the company, said that he considered it was dangerous to carry long steel over bolsters with projections over the vehicle cab and the rear.
When Mr. I. Robey, for the objectors, asked if the suggestion was that the Minister had not got public safety in mind when he enacted the regulations about projecting loads, Mr. McCusker replied: " It has been mentioned in this court, and practically every haulier on Tees-side has long-length trailers ". It was far safer. He said that if the application failed, his company would not cease to carry steel with overhanging projec tions... Most of the vehicles operated a nightly trunk service to the north west. He said he had given instructions that when a vehicle was carrying a backward projecting load, another vehicle was to follow immediately behind as a safety precaution. Undertakings given at the previous inquiry were given under duress to facilitate the transfer of the business. said Mr. Rohey.
When Mr. Wardlaw submitted that the situation was "nonsensical ", no additional vehicles were being put on the road and the application, if granted. would mean that the loads would be carried more safely. Mr. Hanlon remarked that this suggestion was preposterous.