Grant Made for Long Caravan Carriers
Page 63
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Authority's Warning that Special Vehicles Must be Used for 35-ft.-long Outfits
AFTER a four-day hearing at Newcastle Messrs. B. P. Quin and I. E. Hall, Darlington, partially succeeded in their application for four extra vehicles—two Land-Rovers and two articulated vehicles—to tow and carry vehicles, when Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon, Northern Area Licensing Authority, granted them an articulated vehicle to convey long caravans.
Three days were devoted to the evidence of the applicants and their supporting witnesses, followed by evidence from four Yorkshire-based objectors (Tire Commercial Motor, March 4). The final day's hearing consisted of submissions by the parties and the decision.
Mr. R. E. Paterson,. on behalf of the independent objectors, said the application, with regard to the Land-Rovers, was not convincing and no prima facie case had been made .out. Indeed, witnesses called in support had said they were perfectly satisfied with the service they were getting from the applicants. Concerning long trailers, Mr. Paterson said the applicants' whole approach had been wrong. Having regard to the background of the licence and the declarations made by Mr. Quin during the first application, of his intention to reside in the Northern Area, the application should be refused entirely. The existing licence also should be closely scrutinized. From the figures produced, it seemed apparent that the applicants had used contract-A licensed vehicles illegally on more than the one occasion they had admitted.
Statements Not Fulfilled
Mr. I. Robey, for British Railways and another independent objector, associated himself with Mr. Paterson's submissions and asked the Authority to scrutinize the existing licence in relation to section 13 of the 1933 Act, which dealt with the question of false statements of intention or expectation which had not been fulfilled. Mr. Quin had stated he would find accommodation for himself in Darlington, and also would establish and build a new business in the area specifically for customers within the area, The statements were not correct and had not become fact during the interim period.
Replying an behalf of the applicants, Mr. A. S. Hare submitted Mr. Quin was fully justified in making his original application in the Northern Area. Subsequent trading had shown that the greater part of the business was still in the area.
Giving his decision, Mr. Hanlon said there was no doubt in his mind that the caravan industry was developing and increasing. However, none of the supporting witnesses had given evidence of inconvenience upon which he could rely for the purposes of making a very substantial grant in the Northern Traffic Area.
He wished to make it quite clear that long caravans could not be moved on the
road and people should be warned that if they did so they were committing an offence against the Construction and Use Regulations. If they bought long caravans—and he had been told that people were buying them up to 35 ft. in length— they would have to put up with the cost and inconvenience of having them moved by specially constructed vehicles. The evidence, though not strong, indicated that there was an increase in the manufacture of the longer type caravans.
He could not agree with the objectors' contention that the licence should not
have been issued in the Northern Area, and was supported in this by the Transport Tribunal in the Stamper case, which concerned the licensing of vehicles. based in Penrith, carrying traffic to and from other areas.
On his original application form, Mr. Quin had stated that his home was in Huddersfield and the vehicles would be based at Darlington; therefore, no declaration of intention had been made which had not been fulfilled. He was satisfied that Mr. Quin had come to live in Darlington and there would be a more permanent attendance by the partnership in the Northern Area than there had been in the past.
Long caravans had to be transported safely and properly by specially constructed vehicles, and he thought it would not be in excess of requirements if in the Northern Traffic Area there were 'stationed one such vehicle.