No New Customers Support Claim
Page 39
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
AN appeal by Watsons (Carriers), Ltd., Bishop Auckland, against the Northern Licensing Authority's refusal of their application for two additional B licence vehicles to operate within 40 miles of base, was dismissed by the Transport Tribunal in London last week.
Mr. Campbell Wardlaw said Watsons' already operated nine vehicles under a B licence. There had been a large increase in business and a schedule showed that if the figures for the first nine months of 1958 did not vary, the overall result at the end of the year would be a 25 per cent. increase in the turnover for 1957.
Mr. Wade, a director, claimed the company were getting new customers, but had to turn away work. He said the warehouse was working non-stop. Two customer witnesses also gave evidence in wpport of the application. Mr. Campbell Wardlaw said specialized work was undertaken and because of the length of time it took to train a driver, hiring was not practicable. For the British Transport Commission Mr. H. C. Croft submitted that the increased turnover resulted from successive grants of vehicles to the company. In making the earlier successful applications they had claimed customer need, but had then gone into new fields with new customers. No new customers had given. evidence of need. Announcing the Tribunal's decision, Sir Hubert Hull said no case had been made out for an increase.
The Tribunal, in summing up, felt that apart from the evidence . of increased turnover, there was nothing to suggest that the company were not capable of carrying out work offered to them. There was only the general evidence from Mr. Wade that work had to be turned away, and that warehousemen were working a 24-hour shift, that lent any colour to the assertions that the company could not meet the needs of those who desired to employ them.
BEDFORD REDUCTIONS
"rliE single-speed rear axle, rated at I 17,000 lb., has now been standardized on Bedford oil-engined forward-control 7-tonners with both longand shortwheelbase chassis. There has been no alteration of the gross vehicle weight rating of 23,000 lb. The price of a 7-ton dropside truck is now announced as £1,253.
The 18,000-16. two-speed axle continues to be available as an option, and has been reduced in price from £105 to
£95. The two-speed axle remains standard equipment on the oil-cngined f.c. 10-ton tractor unit, the price of which is reduced by £10 to £1,144. A single-speed axle continues to he supplied to the 61-ton normal control Bedfords, and petrol-engined 7-tonners will continue to enjoy the option of singleor two-speed axles.