A Caravan Twist by Mr. Muir
Page 47
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
ONE of the principal tasks of Licensing Authorities is to safeguard the interests of established hauliers. Time and time again they are told this by advocates representing existing haulier objectors to appliesCon by "newcomers ". Mr. D. I. R. Muir, the Metropolitan Licensing Authority, gave an unexpected and commonsense twist to this argument
— in favour of a newcomer applicant — when he gave a decision last week in an application concerning caravan haulage.
The applicant, a Mr. P. J. Griffen of Staines, although he was a newcomer. was applying, in effect, to take over the one-vehicle business of his father who, apparently, was an old established member of—to use Mr. Muir's' own words-----" the small club' of operators in Southern England and Wales who provide transport for the towing and/or carrying of caravans ". Whilst most of his competitors had sought and obtained wide conditions on their licences enabling them to operate throughout the country, Mr. Griffin senior had been content to operate his vehicle under a very restrictive B licence.
Evidence was given during the case that
the .restrictive conditions hampered both operator an4 customers, and this was put forward as one of the reasons why the applicant 'sought to increase the scope of the businesi to carry caravans " throughout Great Britain ".
In a short and snappy decision, Mr. Muir said that though it was true that some of the objectors had produced substantial availability schedules, he found that, in the Caravan hauling business there seemed to be " rather more availability" than in any other. This, he surmised, could be due to the general practice of keeping on licence various kinds of vehicles, each capable of the efficient performance of a special type of job. "Whatever the reason," he continued, "it is obviously necessary in this specialised field to safeguard the interests of established hauliers."
It is usually after saying that that L.A.s refuse applications by newcomers. But not so Mr. Muir. He went on: "But Mr, Griffin is himself one of these and I think it only right that he should have the opportunity to hand over to his son a business free from artificial hampering conditions."
The application, needless to say, was granted.