More Traffic in Fewer Vehicles
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WAIST the number of vehicles VI' operated has decreased, the tonnage handled by British Road Services has gone up during the past four months. Lord Hurcomb, chairman of the British Transport Commission, made this statement to a "Lancashire Evening Post" reporter when he inspected transport depots in the northwest.
Although free hauliers' rates had increased by about 15 per cent., B.R.S. charges had gone up by "certainly less than this figure,' Lord Hurcomb said.
He was given a dossier drawn up by Preston Chamber of Commerce containing 42 complaints of delays and higher costs.
Lord Hurcomb had no fear , that chaos would result from the revocation of permits. He denied reports that 30,000 vehicles were involved. • "The number is only about 15,000," Lord Hurcomb said.
"The Road Haulage Executive and British Railways' goods services can do the job now done by the small hauliers we are obliged to take over," he stated.
He agreed that there were complaints from the small hauliers who were losing their permits, but against their grievances the R.H.E. had to put the general well-being and efficiency of trade and industry.
Addressing the Tees-side and District Section of the Institute of Transport, last week, Mr. N. C. McPherson, manager of the R.H.E: North-eastern Division, referred to recent criticism of the Executive in revoking permits. He said there was "nothing personal" about this policy. The Executive was merely putting into operation an Act of Parliament.
Original permits protected established hauliers and ordinary permits were issued at the discretion of the Executive to allow trade and industry to be provided for until the B.T.C. could offer a complete service for carrying goods beyond the 25-mile radius. Mr. McPherson said that during the next year about 5,000 undertakings would be acquired, including 500 in the north-east. The R.H.E. had 9,000 staff and 5,000 vehicles in the north-east.