Main Road Application Adjourned
Page 43
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
THE. managing director of two haulage companies in Cornwall told the Western Licensing Authority, Mr. S. W. Nelson, at Exeter, last week, that during the past two years there had been no occasions when his firms had been unable to fix up transport for customers.
Mr. Leonard C. Matthews, of Heavy Transport Co. Ltd. and Western Express Haulage Ltd., was giving evidence as one of the objectors in the hearing in which Main Road Haulage (Chiswick) Ltd. was applying for licences for a fleet of 12 vehicles at its St. Austell depot.
The application, which was adjourned until June 24, is for the vehicles to carry granite, china clay and other material. There are 80 objectors including -British Railways and British Road Services (The Commercial Motor, March 13 and May 8).
Mr. Matthews said he had been connected with road haulage in Cornwall the whole of his working life. He feared that work which his company gave to local hauliers might be taken away if the application were granted. " I employ local hauliers regularly throughottt the year ",,he said. Questioned about what effect the gram of the licences might have on work which his firms gave to local hauliers, Mr. Matthews said that if Main Road Haulage could not fill all the vehicles on longdistance work, it could have a considerable effect.
If the question of rates came into the matter he would have no control, and it could lead to local hauliers on local work being rendered idle.
Mr. T. D. Corpe, for the applicants. said his clients were prepared to give an undertaking not to work locally.
Mr. Matthews said he had heard of the rates per mile charged by the applicants, and he considered these were below an economic level.
Mr. Peter Richards, a director of Richard and Osborne, haulage contractors, said he hired many local firms to work for him and he never had any difficulty in doing this.
"If these licences are granted I think my hiring of local hauliers will dwindle just about to nothing. If I were not able to employ them throughout the year I don't think there would be any work available for them ", he added.