Tests for All Vehicles Before Licensing
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nVER 2m. vehicles that are more than 10 years old will be affected at NJ. first by the Government's inspection scheme, but it is intended to extend its scope so that eventually all vehicles will need a clearance certificate from a testing station as a prerequisite to taxing.
This is stated in "Periodic Vehicle Tests," published by the Stationery Office on Monday at 9d. It is the White Paper on the subjectGoods vehicles not exceeding 30 cwt. unladen and certain hackney carriages over IQ years old at the date of the introduction of the testing scheme will be covered.
It is intended shortly to invite applications from garages and local authorities for appointment as official testing stations. "There is good reason to believe that there will be sufficient applicants eligible and suitable for appointment," says the White Paper. There will be no limit on the number of stations in any area the sole criterion will be an applicant's suitability in premises, equipment and staff.
The scheme will not be introduced until there are enough appointed testing stations. The Minister of Transport will issue instructions to that uniform standards may be adhered to by stations in respect of brakes, steering and lighting. These standards are set out in an appendix to the publication.
Foot-brake Efficiency This lists 40-per-cent. efficiency as being sufficient for the foot brakes of a four-wheeler. Wording of the requirements concerning steering and lighting is less specific: "The steering box should be securely attached," for example, and " A certificate should be withheld if the obligatory side lights and rear lights and reflectors are not in working order."
Testing stations will be obliged to keep records of examinations, including the charges made for rectifications to,vehicles made as a result of inspection. These will be officially examined by technical officers. A vehicle owner wilt not necessarily need to have repairs done to a vehicle at the garage where it was tested., The 15s. test fee may be required by a testing station before the examination. If the vehicle fails the test, 14s, will be payable and the certificate will subsequently be granted, after repairs; for another Is. However, if the vehicle fails the test on the second occasibn, the full fee will he required for any subsequent test.
A . vehicle owner may appeal to a Ministry examiner against a testing station's•refusal to grant a certificate within two wicks of the date of the test. ThiS will cost 5s., but may be wholly or partly repaid if the appeal is Upheld.
ANOTHER WAGE CLAIM 71-1-1E national committee of the Amal
gamated Engineering Union decided last week to demand wage increases for engineering employees in the motorvehicle retail and repair trade.
Haulage Price Rings Must Be Watched
(-NNE of the tasks a Licensing Authority
undertakes is to ensure that groups of hauliers do not keep up tender prices so that local authority rates are artificially inflated. This was pointed out last week by Mr. S. W. Nelson, Western Licensing Authority, when he granted a B licence to Mr. K. G. Weaver, Gorefield, Asheott;
Mr. Weaver said he had successfully tendered for haulage work required by Somerset County Council. He had quoted 10s. a ton, whereas the tenders of five hauliers objecting to his application ranged from I Is. 6d. to 12s. 6d. These operators were B. Wynn and Sons, Bridgwater; W. Viney, Ltd., Chard; Cox's Mid-Somerset Transport Co.; A. J. Parson and Sons, Ltd., Coxley; and A. Merriott, Compton Dundon.
Mr. Nelson said he was not suggesting these hauliers had formed a price-ring to keep tenders up, but' everyone -wanted local authority rates to be as tow as possible. He thought Mr. Weaver would make a profit, even though his quotation was far lower that; all the others,
Mr. Weaver was a farmer and now he was taking up haulage in a small. way. He had bought a 1951 vehicle and was driving it himself.
"The fact that the applicant, a small man, has had his tender accented to carry raw materials for . Somerset County Council inust weigh heavily with me,added Mr. Nelson. "I have got to be very careful to ensure that hauliers do not maintain artificial tender prices against the local authority. That is not to say that the figures quoted by the objecting firms here are unduly high."
"HIGHER PAY UNJUSTIFIED "
AN overall increase in wages for all drivers in respect of the increased speed limit is unjustified in the Metropolitan and South-EasternArea of the Road Haulage Association. This is stated by Mr. J. T. Turner, chairman, .in his annual report, issued this week. In December, he says, the area office discovered that only 50 members had benefited from the inereaie in the limit.
The Association had gathered from the Ministry of Transport that the renewal of special A licersees by ordinary A licences would be treated by the Licensing Authorities on the same principles as applied to the renewal of ordinary A licences. In these circumstances, it had been concluded that members should be individually advised by the Association as no one operator's conditions were quite the same as another's.