'Bird's Eye View By The Hawk
Page 44
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Hardly Hansard
CYCLIST, cook . . and much else, our Minister of Transport was in real Marples form when he introduced the Road Traffic Bill into the Commons last week. He opened by saying: "After the previous business of the House, when we had a majority of Scots backing a Bill to make English a common European language, I feel rather diffident about my ability to explain this Bill."
Then, after telling a joke against himself, involving a U.S. sergeant and the Berlin air-lift, he came back to earth to remark: "So, with the shy and timid manner with which the House associates me, I shall now do my best to explain the Clauses." A few • passages later, he was off again, saying: "I speak as a motorist, a paid-up member of one of the motoring organizations. I have never been in arrear with my subscription and always disagree with the organization's advice."
Jovial Ernest, in fact, even received a bouquet from the Opposition—which is more than he is likely to receive from lorry and p.s.v. drivers for sticking to his disqualification clause.
Which Glass?
SEVERAL readers have queried the correct interpretation of the revised vehicle classifications for the Lorry Driver of the Year Competition. I have checked with the organizers to clarify the position with the following result.
Class A now includes vehicles up to and including 16-ft. overall length and having a registered unladen weight of 224 cwt. and over. Class B now covers vehicles over 16-ft. and up to 1310
and including 19-ft. overall length. The tractive units for classes F(1) and F(2) must he under 4 tons unladen weight whilst those in classes G and H musk have unladen weights of 4 tons and over.
Definition
QUERYING in whose handwriting an application form had been completed, the West Midland Deputy Licensing Authority, Mr. R. Hall—sitting for the first time at Hanley, although he has been deputy L.A. in the area since 1958— received the following reply from an applicant: ," It's my boy's mother's handwriting—my wife, that is."
Biggest Yet ?
rrH E movement of boats overland is a long-established practice. But the scale of such operations now planned in Russia seems unprecedented. Instead of transferring ships from one river level to another by conventional locks, it is proposed to " land-ferry " ships by a moving "lock." This will consist of a basin 90 metres long and 18 metres wide, and it is intended that this " truck " will operate on a gradient of 1 in 10. It will weigh—with water-2,300 tons, whilst the "gross laden weight," i.e., including the floating ship, may exceed 4,000 tons. The appropriate licensing duty is not reported.
Abnormal User
I NOTICE an unusual type of application in the East Midland Applications and Decisions. A Wellingborough licenceholder seeks variations to carry "Wild animals to and from Wellingborough Zoo and Fossetts Circus anywhere as required." He also wants to carry "other live and dead farming stock "not all in the same vehicle at the same time, I hope.