No Check to Contract Conversions
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THERE seems to be little check to the ever-open back door to additional public-A licences provided by contract vehicles. At Blackburn, last week, Mr. A. H. Jolliffe, North Western Deputy Licensing Authority,. opened it even wider.
He accepted evidence of an approach to customers by a haulier, who suggested that they would be better served under public-A licence. The operator undertook to do the same work, held out prospects of better rates if return loads were available, and submitted that this was sufficient to justify the transfer of two articulated units from contractto publicA licence.
Not unnaturally, the two customers concerned supported the application. If such evidence to justify a change is generally accepted, all that will be needed to obtain additional public-A vehicles
by anyone holding contracts is to dangle the prospect of better rates before a customer.
The difficulties of the present system are spotlighted by the fact that Mr. H. J. Thom, South Eastern Licensing Abithority, last week refused an application to transfer. 40 vehicles from contractto public-A licence, on the Aiclence that the change would enable the applicants to carry return loads and reduce rates.
The significant feature of the Blackburn application was that, in the first place, the customers were not seeking to surrender their contracts but were approached by the hauliers. The only reason for the customers' consent was rate' reduction. In the case of one customer, the loads were all inwards, leaving the haulier an additional vehicle to load outwards.