No Right of Appeal by R.H.E.
Page 26
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Claimed in Varitition Case
IT was argued before the Transport [Appeal] Tribunal, in London, on !Tuesday, that there was no right of appeal by the Road Haulage Executive against a decision of the Metropolitan Licensing Authority, granting Kitts Transport Co., Wallis Street, Poplar, a variation of the conditions of a B licence.
Mr. C. R. Beddington, for Kitts, submitted that as the R.H.E. had no right of objection, it could not appeal.
The company, he said, had applied to vary a condition by modifying the classes or descriptions of goods to be carried. It was clearly a variation which the Licensing Authority was entitled to grant and under Section 11(3) of the Road and Rail Traffic Act, it was not an application to which any other person had any right to object.
It was not an application for the granting of additional vehicles or any variation in the number of vehicles, or concerning the district or places between which the vehicles could he used, and that was the on kind of variation to which there was any right to object.
Mr. Beddington said he was unable to cite any authority for his case, because the point did not seem to have arisen: It was right for him to admit that the point could have been taken before the Licensing Authority, who could have heard the then objectors— not as objectors, but as persons making representations.
Mr. R. Mathew, for the Executive, said that Mr. Beddington's submission was extremely far-reaching and affected a large number of objections under the Act in general terms.
In his opinion, the company's application came within Section 11 (3), in that there was a variation in the district specified; the existing licence was for a radius of 50 miles and the application was for 40 miles. There wasalso an extension in the carriage of certain traffics from nil to 40 miles.
The hearing was adjourned until next Wednesday.
COMMITTEE STAGE ON THE BILL BEGINS THE committee stage on the Trans-t port Bill began on the floor of the House of Commons on Wednesday. Seven days have been allocated to this stage, but the dates of the other six days are not yet known. They will be announced week by week.
Some amendments have already been tabled to the Transport Bill. Lord Hinchingbrooke and other Conservative Members have put down an amendment to increase the Road Haulage Disposals Board from six to seven members, and another to provide that one member of the board shall represent the trade unions.
Mr. Woodburn and 28 other Scottish Members have amendments to exclude from sale any property in Scotland of the British Transport Commission. Efforts are also being made to secure a24 that the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Minister of Transport will be consulted by the British Transport Commission on the reorganization of the railways under a Scottish authority.
R.H.A. TO SEEK AMENDMENTS
THE executive committee of the Road Haulage Association last week agreed certain possible amend
ments to the Transport Bill. The nature of the proposals has not been disclosed, Sponsors for them now have to be found.
The executive also approved the decision of the national rates committee not to hold a special meeting in the light of the Road Haulage Executive's increase in rates on December 1.
JURY'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HOME OFFICE
AT Surrey Assizes, last week, the jury expressed disapproval of the regulations governing the renewal of public servicevehicle drivers' licences and said that the provision of adequate screens for use at night on public service vehicles should be compulsory.
Mr. Justice Havers stated that the jury's recommendations mould be forwarded to the Home Office.
These opinions were passed after Arthur Wilfred Mettle, Quex Road, Hampstead, was found not guilty of the manslaughter of a woman at Harley, when his coach collided with a lorry and then a shop. He was sentenced to six months' imprisonment and his licence was suspended for 10 years for dangerous driving.
Maule said that he had not had to pass an eyesight test since 1949, when he was medically examined for his first public service vehicle driver's licence. A consulting surgeon declared that Maule's sight was below par. The defendant also said that he had not lowered the night blind .because it caused a dark shadow.
VAUXHALL EXPORTS 70 PER CENT.
InURING November, Vauxhall 1--/ Motors, Ltd., exported 2,656 commercial vehicles, representing 70 per cent, of production. The company's exports of cars and commercial Vehicles during the month were the second highest monthly total in its history.
4,000-GALLON TANKERS?
REPRESENTATIONS have been made to the Home Office by the fuel-distributing companies for an increase in the maximum permissible capacity of road tankers from 3,600 gallons to 4,000 gallons. The matter is under consideration.