Law About Employers "Utterly Wrong"
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IT is utterly. wrong that an employer, who takes proper steps to comply with the law, should be prosecuted and automatically found guilty because one' of his employees commits an offence. This was stated by Aid, W. R. Hargrave, at Leeds last week, when he spoke to members of the Yorkshire Section of the Institute of Transport.
Ald. Hargrave, a solicitor who has represented road operators in the traffic courts for 28 years, said the Institute should give urgent attention to some parts of the Road Traffic Act.
"We have now entered an era when it is necessary to warn those who go about their lawful vocations and develop their businesses without default or negligence that they may find themselves liable to prosecution and conviction without lawful tight of answer," he said.
"it seems to be utterly wrong and completely contrary to an Englishman's sense of justice that an employer, notwithstanding all the Steps he has properly taken to ensure compliance with the law, should be found guilty of a breach when. someone else, contrary to instructions; has committed an offence
"I see no reason why anyone should be liable to prosecution, and be automatically found guilty, for an offence with which he is in no way concerned, and in which he has had no part. That is taking place under the Road Traffic Act."
TRENDS IN BUS TRANSPORT
STAFF shortages, increasing competition from cars and motorcycles, and the growing adoption of one-man buses are recurrent themes in "Summary of Annual Reports of the-Licensing Authorities for Public Service Vehicles, 1955-56," published by the Stationery Office tit 3s. 6d. this week.
Television is also noted as a factor Onding to abstract passengers from buses, although the closing of a number of railway branch lines yielded extra traffic.
HIGHER FARES SOUGHT A PPLICATIONS for fare revisions on Pl. 25 Yorkshire routes are being made by the British Transport Commission, West Yorkshire Road Car Co., Ltd., HebbIe Motor Services, Ltd., and the Yorkshire Woollen,District Transport Co., Ltd. They will ask the Yorkshire Traffic Commissioners to bring their fares into line with those of Bradford Corporation, who were recently granted increases,