Tippers Short After Depot Sale: Licence for Eight More
Page 37
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
AN acute shortage of tipping vehicles as the result of the disposal of units at the Chantry depot of British Road Services was referred to before the Western Licensing Authority on Monday, when W. Viney, Ltd., Patwell, Bruton, Somerset, were granted an A licence to operate eight additional tippers within a radius of 150 miles.
When the company were nationalized, stated Mr, T. D. Corpe, for the applicants, their fleet was moved to Chantry, which was chiefly carried on by B.R.S. as a tipper depot. Before making the application, the company had tendered for the depot but had been unsuccessful.
The British Transport Commission invited the applicants to meet them and inquired whether the company would offer a certain figure if the depot were again put up for sale. The company said that they were interested and would tender, but their bid was rejected.
To Distant Towns The depot was sold piecemeal and 29 of the vehicles were disposed of to distant towns, including London, Warrington and Leicester. There was thus a serious shortage of transport facilities in the immediate district.
The concern were still negotiating to buy the property at Chantry, said Mr. Corpe, adding that a contract-A licence was not suitable, as customers could not guarantee complete use of the vehicles.
Mr. T. H. Amblin, managing director and secretary of the company, said that he had been a superintendent at Chantry with B.R.S. and at one time operated 192 tippers. Extra vehicles were hired. He doubted whether the eight vehicles applied for would be sufficient, as 42 had recently been run from Chantry.
It was the intention to carry on the same type of business from Chantry. This would include 25 per cent, general haulage, although it had to be appreci-. ated, said Mr. Amblin, that tippers did not lend themselves to the transport of normal loads.
First Surveyor When Mr. R. Hatswell, divisional surveyor, Somerset County Council, was called, the Authority, Mr. S. W. Nelson, remarked that in all his experience it was the first time a divisional surveyor had come before him to give evidence. Mr. I4atswell said that the shortage of tippers was serious and unless it were remedied, the Somerset ilm. road programme would be slowed down.
Mr. y. Bennett, area manager, Bradgate Quarry. confirmed the shortage of tippers. He sometimes required as many as 30.
Mr. W. Widdicombe, divisional highway surveyor, Frame, said that there were times when six tippers a day were wanted for road-widening work, but were unobtainable. In J an u a r y, insufficient vehicles were available to grit Mendip roads during bad weather.
Mr. F. Burton, transport manager of the Roads Reconstruction concern, said that, because of the shortage of tippers, his company had recently had to reject an order for 200 tons of material daily.
Mr. E. Evemy, a director of Ashton Quarries, stated that he required 30 tippers a day. His company had 15 of their own and used to hire 15 from Chantry, but these were no longer available.
The Authority said that he was completely satisfied that a case had been made out for eight vehicles. They would be fully occqpied,.and he would bear the evidence he had heard in mind for any future application.
Objections had been lodged by the railways, B.R.S. and F. W. Whittock, Ltd., but the Authority thought that the application would not affect them.
PORTSMOUTH RALLY
PORTSMOUTH'S eliminating contest for the "Lorry Driver of the Year" competition will be held on September 17. As was the case last year, there. will be an observed road section of about five miles, ending at Victoria Barracks, where tests of manoeuvrability and braking will take place.
The contest is sponsored by the Portsmouth Accident Prevention Council, whose honorary secretary is Police Sergeant Bernard L. Hale.
TROLLEYBUSFS TO GO?
BECAUSE the overhaul and replacement of overhead equipment on the Freeman Street trolleybus route would cost £3,500, Grimsby Transport Committee suggest that motorbuses should work the service for an experimental period. Mr. J. Rostron, general manager of the undertaking, has advised that motorbuses could be used on the route without adding vehicles to the fleet.
32 ENGINES OFFERED "TWO more vehicle engines have been introduced by the International Harvester Co., of Chicago. Users can now select from 32 engines of different powers and types. Vehicles can now be supplied with any of 13 petrol engines from 108 b.h.p. to 318 b.h.p., any of 10 oil engines from 135 b.h.p. to 300 b.h.p., or any of nine liquefied gas engines ranging up to 356 b.h.p.