Authorities Making Stern Bid to Curb Offenders
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BY A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
'THERE is clear evidence of a new determination by Licensing Authorities to reinforce penalties imposed by the courts for -serious breaches of the law. The increase in the number of inquiries all over the country to consider the suspension or revocation of licences suggests that, the Authorities are following an agreed policy.
The Metropolitan Licensing Authority, Brig. R. J. 0. Dowse, on Monday suspended a .total of 10 vehicles operated by three concerns. These included A, B and C licences, and the suspensions were ordered for periods of from two toseven weeks.
A fortnight ago, the Yorkshire Licensing Authority suspended three vehicles operated by a C-licensee. In the Northern Area, -further hearings are to be held at which suspension or revocation of licences will be considered.
Siddle C. Cook, Ltd., Consett, Co. Durham, will appear before the Northern Licensing Authority, Mr. I. A. T. Hanlon, on July 25. The inquiry has been called under Section 13 (1) of the 1933 Road and Rail Traffic Act, and Section 9 (4) of the 1953 Transport Act, to show cause why B licences for seven vehicles should not be revoked or suspended.
Misleading Statements?
Mr. Hanlon has taken this action following an application by the company to substitute four small B-licence rigids, totalling 15 tons 16 cwt. unladen weight, by two eight-wheelers totalling 14 tons 19 cwt.
The four vehicles were taken over from Mr. G. Minnigan, Consett, in September, 1955, and included a pantechnicon and a small van, which was Later replaced by a larger vehicle. It is understood that the inquiry will be concerned with alleged misleading statements concerning the suitability of the vehicles for the carriage of steel on behalf of the Consett Iron Co., Ltd.
Three Cumberland hauliers, L. Stoddart, Carlisle, and L. H. Wilson and W. Stubbs, Penrith, will appear before Mr. Hanlon, on July 22, in connection with alleged special A licence irregularities. These inquiries are under the same sections of the Acts.
Similar Case
Mr. W. B. Ovenden, of Bury, will appear before the North Western Licensing Authority in another "show cause" case at Manchester on July 23. The case was adjourned from June 16.
At Monday's inquiry in London, Brig. Dowse gave a stern warning to operators that if "flagrant offences under Section 19 of the 1933 Road and Rail Traffic Act continued, he would have no hesitation in usinghis powers. The serious effect on a. bu.siness of suffering the -loss of a licence • would not rbe lost on operators, he declared.
In the main case before him, E. Goldamid (1938), Ltd., Monument Street, London, E.C.3, were required to show -cause why their A, special A or B licences e32 should not be removed. It was stated that they had been successfully prosecuted on a number of occasions since 1952, and had been fined a total of £800.
For the company, Mr. David Karma, Q.C., said they carried on two parallel businesses—one at Billingsgate and the other at Covent Garden. Over the years, through no fault of the directors, offences relating to records had been committed, but they had occurred only on isolated occasions and were quite unrelated and unsystematic.
There had been no speeding, no overloading, no working of excessive hours, but there had been instances of incomplete control over records. The present -traffic manager was the third to hold the position since 1951, and under his authority a system had been introduced which had proved faultless since the beginning of this year.
Eight Vehicles Removed Brig. Dowse said he regarded it as a serious and important case. He would remove four A-licence vehicles and four B-licence vehicles, operating under different conditions, from August 3 to September 21.
Durant (Furniture), Lid., Hartham Road, London, N.7, were concerned in another case, and were represented by Mr. Victor Durand, Q.C. After it had been stated that the company had been convicted 19 times, Mr. Durand pointed out the difficulties in maintaining accurate records of vehicles which were away for as long as four days at .a time.
He went on to explain that a man who had acted as traffic clerk for a number of years died last November after being in hospital for two months. During that time his office had not been filled, with the result that muddles had occurred. The present traffic manager, Mr. El. Lifland, had now restored an efficient system and no further difficulty was expected.
Brig. Dowse ordered the removal of one C-licence vehicle for three weeks _from August 3.
• For Lyons Furniture Works, Ltd., Curtain-Works. London; F.C.2, Mr. J. —Amphlett related a somewhat similar story, claiming that circumstances. had made it difficult to keep accurate records. The Authority ordered that one of their three C-licence vehiclesshould be removed for two weeks from August 3.