AT THE HEART OF THE ROAD TRANSPORT INDUSTRY.

Call our Sales Team on 0208 912 2120

Objectors Now More Careful

18th November 1955
Page 46
Page 46, 18th November 1955 — Objectors Now More Careful
Close
Noticed an error?
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.

Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

More Convictions for Licensing Offences: Condition of Small Retailers' Vehicles Still Poor BECAUSE they now have to prove the grounds of their objections, objectors arc presenting their cases more carefully. Of the 12,485 objections advanced against5,282 of the 26,608 notifiable applications received by the Licensing Authorities in the year to September 30, 1954, 32 per cent, were lodged by British Railways, 26 per cent. by British Road Services and 42 per cent, by other hauliers. In no case was the question of charges the determining factor in the application.

These comments are made in the Summary of Annual Reports of the Licensing Authorities for Goods Vehicles, 1953-54 (Stationery Office, 2s. 6d.).

More Convictions

Convictions -for using goods vehicles without licences, and for operating C-licensed vehicles for hire or reward, continued to increase. Fines imposed were, the Licensing Authorities complained, often so small as to administer only a nominal punishment to the wrongdoer and had practically no deterrent effect.

"A growing tendency has been noted among drivers to leave completion of their records until the end of the day and then to make entries designed to show that the hours worked were within the limits laid down," it is stated, "It was thought that the promulgation in the Transport Act, 1953, of the forthcoming repeal of the 25-mile hire or reward limit at the end of 1954 might stimulate disregard of the law in this respect, in anticipation of the lifting of the embargo. This did not happen, however, in most traffic areas and there was a drop in the number of cases concerned with these offences, despite the closer watch maintained for them."

The report again complains of the poor 'standard of maintenance of C-licence vehicles engaged on retail deliveries and on similar traffics by operators of one or two vehicles. Some improvement was shown in certain areas, but a large proportion was still below a reasonable standard. In the Northern Area, a shortage of skilled mechanics was reported.

"'Complaints of the high cost, of repair work and allegations of poor workmanship when repairs are executed were," the reports say, "advanced as reasons for postponing necessary repairs until they became essential to keep the vehicle running. Licensing Authorities consider that a more probable cause of the delay is the neglect which so many operators display towards the medianical condition of their vehicles."

During the year, 115,889 vehicles were examined ' and 25,581 prohibition notices were issued. During road checks, 9,698 vehicles were examined and of the 2,692 prohibition notices issued, 633 were immediate.

The main defects calling for prohi. bition related to bodywork, steering, brakes, suspension and transmission, in that order. The reports ascribe the large number of bodywork defects to the

fact that many operators regard the condition of bodywork as unimportant. The highest proportion of brake defects occurred in hand-brake mechanism, apparently becatite of a tendency to regard it merely as a parking brake and, -therefore—as less worthy of attention than the fOot brake.

During the year, 12,366 summonses were issued against goods-vehicle users and their drivers, resulting in 11,098 convictions and 283 convictions with absolute d‘scharge. Convictions for offences against the Construction and Use Regulations were most numerous, foltoived by the operation of vehicles without carriers' licences, and the improper keeping of records.

Most areas reported that the number of vehicles on C-hiring licences continued to increase, but at a reduced rate.

Central Control

In the north-west, a parent company set up a transport company to ensure central control of vehicles specified in C licences held by subsidiaries throughout the country. The transport under. taking acquired all the vehicles and an association comprising the subsidiary companies applied for C-hiring allowances.

A pool of drivers is employed and the transport company hire vehicles to the association to meet the needs of members. A total of 1,639 vehicles is -involved. {The organization in question' is believed to be in the food trade.]

Licences were suspended in the Eastern, South Eastern and Scottish Areas for periods ranging from a fortnight to six weeks. In the Northern Area the number of vehicles 00 an A licence was reduced from three to two

Tags

Organisations: Stationery Office

comments powered by Disqus