Prohibition Reminder in B-licence Case
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GRANTING a B licence for a lowloader to T. Armstrong, Ltd., Cockermouth, last week, Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon, Northern Licensing Authority, drew attention to the number of prohibition notices which had been issued in respect of the company's vehicles.
When Mr. W. Winder, transport manager, replied that there were difficulties with a large fleet, Mr. Hanlon remarked: " I don't care if you have a thousand vehicles. I won't allow one on the road in a dangerous condition."
Mr. Winder said the company had proper maintenance facilities and always co-operated with vehicle examiners. The trouble was caused partly because drivers failed to notify faults. But there had not been a serious accident since he joined the company 38 years ago.
"Yes, you have a good accident record," agreed Mr. Hanlon. But these things have to be watched."
Mr. Winder said the vehicle in the application was formerly operated in connection with Armstrong's business as building contractors and timber merchants, but was idle two or three days a week. A number of concerns in the district would make use of it if a 25-mile B licence were granted.
"STAGGER HOURS, OR BUS
SERVICES WILL SUFFER" CORPORATION bus services in Read
ing will have to be cut unless staggered hours are introduced to relieve traffic at peak periods. This warning has been given to Reading Chamber of Commerce by Mr. W. J. Evans, general manager.
Appealing for an early system of staggered hours, Mr. Evans said unless something was done, shortage of staff would make it impossible to maintain existing services. Already inspectors and depot staff were taking out buses at rush hours, and regular crews were working heavy overtime to meet the demand.
The Chamber heard from Cllr. D. L. Stoddart, chairman of the transport committee, that if peak loading could not be spread to make more efficient use of vehicles and staff, a fare rise might be unavoidable.
"TOO MANY FILLING STATIONS"
THE major oil companies had added to the cost of petrol by building an unnecessarily large number of filling stations, said Mr. B. Darley, chairman of the York and Malton Section of the Motor Agents' Association at their annual dinner last week.
In Doncaster, he said, there were 27 stations with 109 pumps on a 20-mile stretch of road, and four more applications had been made for building on the same part of the highway.
Cllr. J. Hardcastle thought that operators of big vehicles should fit mud flaps to the rear mudguards to reduce the amount of dirt thrown up on to the windscreens of following vehicles.