Authorities Alarmed About Disposal
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Reporting to Minister: Members of Board Not Unanimous: Big Offers Refused
BY A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT I T is understood that the Licensing Authorities are dissatisfied with the policy which is being followed in the disposal of the vehicles of British Road Services. One of them has described the position as dynamite. They recently met in London and their views on disposal are to be expressed in strong terms to the Minister of Transport. They believe that some of the vehicles are worth far less than the prices that are being demanded and they are anxious about the condition of units.
Some of the Licensing Authorities arc among those who believe that the Road Haulage Disposal Board and the British Transport Commission should take a more realistic view of the situation and be more ready to accept tenders based on a fair knowledge of the capabilities of the units being offered.
It is known that the members of the Board are not unanimous on the policy that is being pursued, although disagreement has not reached the point at which a difference between the Board and the Commission has, under the 1953 Act, to be referred to the Minister.
The Road Haulage Association have already made their opinions plain to the Minister. They have told him that the prices expected by the B.T.C. and the Board are too high and that where three bids are made for a unit, the highest should be accepted.
They are thought to have sympathizers in the Ministry. 1 understand that Mr. J. Banks, Parliamentary private secretary to the Minister, is among those who are not satisfied with the state of affairs in denationalization.
£190 a Ton Refused Instances have come to light of the rejection of bids of £190 per ton of payload capacity for special A licences, when a generous allowance would have been £70 a ton.
Many complaints are being heard of the condition of vehicles—the result of an alleged hint given some time ago to depot managers to do no more than was necessary to keep vehicles running One buyer found that a lorry for which he had successfully tendered had to be completely re-wired.
An experienced haulier who has bought about a dozen vehicles and is replacing them all as quickly as possible, told me that he was appalled by the standard of maintenance. He said that he had examined 115 B.R.S. vehicles and he quoted cases in which brake drums fell off when the wheels were removed, brake facings were smeared with grease, and wheel nuts bore chisel marks but had failed to respond to that treatment.
One of the vehicles which he purchased had a wheel stud missing and in the case of another the differential broke shortly after delivery was taken.
B2 MR. MOLSON REPLIES TO MR. SPARROW
(-IN Monday, Mr. Hugh Molson, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, replied to criticisms by Mr C. W. 1-1_ Sparrow, a vice-chairman of the Road Haulage Association, of the disposal of British Road Services. As reported in The Commercial Motor . last week, Mr. Sparrow said that, at the present rate, denationalization would take 15 years.
Mr. Molson declared that those vehicles which were sold would be disposed of long before 15 years. The British Transport Commission could not be blamed for not wishing to commit suicide. Mr. Molson believed that the future held prosperity for free hauliers as well as for the Commission and there was great opportunity for further expansion.
He was speaking at the annual dinner of the Metropolitan and South Eastern Area of the R.H.A. in London.
Mr. Herbert H. Crow, area chairman, asked users to have faith in freeenterprise transport and to entrust independent hauliers with all their traffic direct [not through B.R.S1,
Urging the need for an early start on the Dartford-Purfleet tunnel, he said that it would save 52 miles on the journey from Grays, Essex, to Gravesend, Kent, and would enable rates to be reduced by 10s. a ton on a maximumload vehicle.
Sir Miles Thomas, chairman of British Overseas Airways Corporation, made a spirited case for the improvement of the roads. He said that man-hours were being lost in factories through poor road conditions, He advocated tolls on roads and bridges.
N.G.T. BUY TOLR BUSINESS THE Northern General Transport Co., Ltd., have acquired the business of Bee-Line Continental Tours, Ltd., Newcastle on Tyne. No vehicles are involved in the transaction as BeeLine have been operating with hired coaches in past years.
Tours of Norway, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Holland, France and Switzerland are being planned by Northern General, Bee-Line Continenta'r'Tours, Ltd., will continue to operate under that name.
500 Parcels Vans in Small Lots
rONTRARY to reports, the whole of
the parcels fleet of British Road Services is not to • be sold to one company. About 500 parcels vehicles are to be disposed of in small units.
It is expected that 235 of these vehicles will appear in List 5. List 6 and later schedules will contain the balance of 265. Several parcels carries whose businesses were acquired by the British Transport Commission are understood to be anxious to return to the industry. Some who have continued under private enterprise are already planning schemes of co-operation to submit to the buyers of the bulk of the Carter Paterson organization. which will retain under 4,000 vehicles.
It has been rumoured that eit?.. interests propose to form a comparo, with a capital of about £9m. to buy Carter Paterson. The name of Mr. H. C. Drayton, chairman of B.E.T. and formerly head of Transport Services. Ltd., one of the first haulage organizations to sell out to the B.T.C., has been linked with the proposal.
The Commercial Motor understands that Mr. Drayton was told of the proposal about five months ago, but he was then not interested. He may since have changed his mind, but at the moment he is abroad.
It has also been suggested that Mr. C. Barrington. a member of the Board of Management of B.R.S. and formerly of Transport Services, Ltd.. would head the new company. Another name mentioned in connection with the scheme is that of Mr. Charles Holdsworth, but he is thought not to be greatly interested.
The Road Haulage Disposal Board apparently have no doubt that all the parcels vehicles will be sold.
R.H.A. LUNCHEON SPEAKERS THE Minister of Transport, Mr. A, 1. Lennox-Boyd, and a former holder of this post, Lord Brabazon. will speak at the annual luncheon of the Road Haulage Association to be held at Grosvenor House. Park Lane. London, W,1, on May