Hauliers Changed Base and User But Retain Licence
Page 45
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
J\LTHOUGH a Birmingham haulage company admitted that they had changed the base and normal user of three A-licensed vehicles without permission, the West Midland Licensing Authority, Mr. W. P. James, decided not to revoke their licence at a Birmingham inquiry last week. He had heard that the company—the Crompton Garage-Co., Ltd., Crompton Road, Handsworth—had committed the irregularities through helping out their parent company, Highfield_ Transport (Derby), Ltd., Brook Street, Derby.
' Mr. -N. Carless, for Crompton Garage, said Highfield Transport had planned to use the Handsworth premises as a ..estorage depot, but they were too small. -Eventually they acquired some land in West Bromwich and while building there was being completed they took steps to dispose of the Crompton Road depot. Meanwhile, vehicles were operated from Derby, although some contract lorries were kept in Birmingham.
Mr. L. H. J. Selfe, director, secretary
and manager of Highfield Transport, said in evidence that Crompton Garage's vehicles had been carrying goods to Derby from the Berkhamsted factory of Cooper, MacDougall and Robertson. In the past 12 months this traffic had doubled, which meant that extra vehicles were needed.
There had also been a 40 per cent. increase in business for Lederle Laboratories, another major customer, and Highfield Transport had found difficulty
in coping with all the demands on their own vehicles. Two of their lorries had been off the road while traffic was increasing, and they had been unable to have their vehicles in the right places at the right times.
The Crompton Garage vehicles were moved to Derby last January, although they were still controlled to sonic extent from West Bromwich.
Mr. James said the evidence pointed to the fact that the three vehicles were transferred to Derby. from Birmingham and Derby was used as the base from 1957 onwards. The normal users had been changed since last January. Although he did not propose to revoke the licence, the company should seriously consider applying to the East Midlands Authority for vehicles to be based at Derby.