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B.T.C. Illegal Working Plea Fails : Haulier Gets A-licence Grant

11th July 1958, Page 40
11th July 1958
Page 40
Page 41
Page 40, 11th July 1958 — B.T.C. Illegal Working Plea Fails : Haulier Gets A-licence Grant
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

ANEW vehicle was last week added to the A licence held by Mannings (Devon), Ltd., Dawlish, despite a submission by the British Transport Commission that a grant would condone previous illegal working. Mr. S. W. Nelson, Western Licensing Authority, also agreed to vary the conditions of the coMpany's B licence in respect of two vehicles.

The case had been adjourned on two previous occasions, and Mr. Nelson was told that since the last hearing the cornpany had been convicted for allowing a driver to work excessive hours. Mr. A. W. Balne, for the B.T.C., claimed that when the application was made last summer the Exeter-London service was being illegally run. The present service was entirely different, he declared.

Miss N. Cornelius, the company's managing clerk, said she had inspected records to ascertain that the ExeterLondon service could he conducted legally.

Meat Haulage For the applicants, Mr. G. MeMurtrie said they wanted the A-licence vehicles to carry fresh meat within a 300-mile radius, returning with general goods. They were asking for the B licence to read: " Meat within 25 miles of Exeter post office and in such parts of Devon and Cornwall as are not within that radius; meat for Dewhursts and the Fat Stock Marketing Corporation any distance."' Mr. C. Jenks, for the Corporation, said they had been negotiating with the railways for a long time, and had given details of the service they required, but so far the railways had not been able to assist them. Business would increase over the next year by about 15 per cent.

Mr. Balne said he would not call witnesses, as the Transport Tribunal had ruled in the Willams case that illegal working should not be condoned.

In reply, Mr. McMurtrie pointed out that a large number of summonses against the company was dismissed, and no offences were committed relating to meat haulage. In only one case was there a conviction for allowing a driver to exceed his hours. This was an excellent record for a company which had been in business 20 years.

BUS COMPANY'S RATING APPEAL SUCCEEDS

ASUCCESSFUL rating appeal was lodged at Wakefield, last week, by the West Riding Automobile Co., Ltd. The assessment of their garage and offices in Barnsley Road, Wakefield, was reduced from £5,144 gross value to £4,750 (£3,164 rateable), after the company had pleaded for a reduction to £4,500.

Mr. J. E. Kilburn, for the company, suggested that the Valuation Department had been "hitting below the belt" in putting two different assessments on the property in 1956 and 1957. The valuation officer was proposing to increase the 1956 figure by 81 per cent., probably because he had made an error in 1956 and wanted to take the opportunity of putting things right.

Mr. T. M. McAllister, for the valuation Officer, denied this suggestion. In 1956, he said, only a rateable value was placed on the premises, but last year the gross value was recorded. and the company had been told that this would mean an increase.

Granting the reduction, Ald.

Rafferty said it was felt that the position had depreciated since 19,56 sufficient to warrant a lower figure. £12,500 Damages Go. To Tipper Driver DAMAGES of £12,500 and costs were awarded at Sheffield Assizes, last week, to a driver whose vehicle plunged 200 ft. down an embankment at an opencast mining site. He is Mr. Derek Robertshaw, Platts Common, near Barnsley. Defendants were Sir Lindsay Parkinson and Co., Ltd., Halton. Leeds.

The accident occurred when the driver was directed to use an alternative tipping site, where the vehicle began to sink before toppling over backwards, carrying Mr. Robertshaw with it.

In a reserved judgment, Mr. Justice Edmund Davies said Mr. Robertshaw lost the sight of his right eye, sustained three fractured ribs and damaged his right wrist and neck. As a result he was obliged to wear a spinal appliance supporting the chin. He was entitled to reasonable and proper compensation for his condition and future pain and suffering.

ULSTER TRANSPORT BILL 'THE Transport Bill, which proposes an agreement between the Governments of Northern Ireland and Eke for the division of the Great Northern Railway at the border, the dissolution of the G.N.R. Board and the absorption of the railway system in Northern Ireland by the Ulster Transport Authority, was given its first reading in the Ulster Senate last week. It was passed by 15 votes to 3.

Worst Year Ever for Ribble—Chairman

THE influenza epidemic last autumn, I followed by a bad winter, depressed traffic to "an unprecedented extent" as far as Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., were concerned. The company had earlier been hit by poor weather during the summer, and the July strike. Describing these difficulties in his annual report, last week, Mr. R. P. Beddow, chairman, declared: "The year under review suffered from adverse influences on a scale not experienced since the war." They had been increasingly affected by competition from privately owned transport, and had been forced to cut some frequencies besides putting up their fares, he said.

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A considerable proportion of their was still being ing operated at a loss, and in view of the Government's repeated refusals to cut the fuel tax, it had become more than ever urgent to reduce these losses in order to leave as many remunerative services as possible within the company's ,means. were again increased, f wages he could w the extra costs would be met not see ho other than by higher fares and a further reduction in non-paying services. This must eventually mean less employment. YORK TO STAGE LORRY DRIVER

• COMPETITION

PGOOD response from drivers of IC heavy vehicles is reported by York Sub-area of the Road Haulage Association, who will run their own I,orry and Light Van Driver of the Year Competition on July 20. This event will be independent of the national competition, and is to be staged at Acaster Aerodrome. The judges will take into consideration driving technique, knowledge of the wa Highy Code and vehicle upkeep. There will be an optional section for the best maintained vehicle.

You Risk Fine of ,E20 a Day" Warning

AFINE of £100 was imposed at Bradford, last week, on Lincoln Scott, ue m , Tho Evelyn Avenue, when he admitted not removing vehicles and materials from an open-air site in Bradford after being ordered to do so. made a was stated that the order was . a year ago, but last February Scott was before the court for not complying with it. At that hearing he was allowed three months to remove his property. After telling the magistrates that he had been unable to find another site, Scott was warned that he would be liable ay to a further fine of £20 a d if the equipment were not removed immediately. For using a van with inefficient brakes and a faulty silencer he was fined £20, and for using it after paying a lower rate of duty than required he was fined £5.

" Three-day " Case Over in 30 Minutes

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A CASE heard by the East Midland m Traffic Commissioners, last week, was expected to last at least three days— and was over in less than 30 minutes. The applicants were Nottingham Corporation, who wanted to run works services from Clifton housing estate over the new Clifton Bridge. Barton Transport, Ltd., and the South Notts Bus Co., Ltd., opposed their request for journeys to Ericsson Telephones, Ltd., Beeston, West Bridgford U.D.C. joined South Notts in objecting to services for Raleigh Industries, Ltd., Nottingham; John Player and Sons, Ltd., Nottingham; and Boots Pure Drug Co., Ltd., Beesto.

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All objectors withdrew after a discussion between the parties, and the n was granted for a year, subject to review after three months. Mr. R. Seely Whitby, for the objectors, said they had withdrawn because the orporation could provide better facilities for Clifton workers. He went on: "This troves that operators are not always actuated by base self interest. It proves they have regard to the requirements of the public, who, after all, they do rely on for their living.–

RUNCORN BRIDGE WILL HAVE NEW APPROACH

IN conjunction with the Runcorn-Widnes road bridge over the Mersey, on which work is now proceeding, a new road to by-pass Halton has been anproved by the Minister of Transport. The road will improve the main outer approach to the bridge from the Cheshire side. It is expected that the new bridge will attract much traffic now using the Mersey tunnel, or detouring through Warrington. The Halton' by-pass will have a single 33-ft. carriageway, with room for duplication if necessary, and will be long. It is to be ready in time for the opening of the bridge, towards the end of 1960.


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