1RB and customers fined Dr freightliner overloading

13th September 1968, Page 87

13th September 1968

Page 87

Page 87, 13th September 1968 — 1RB and customers fined Dr freightliner overloading

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British Railways Board, Goymer and ggs Transport Ltd. and W. J. Simms Ltd. swered summonses brought by the Ministry Transport at Clerkenwell magistrates court Monday. The charges concerned overloadat the York Way (King's Cross) Freightliner rminal which occurred during February and arch of this year. W. J. Simms Ltd. con;ted the summons and British Railways and )ymer and Higgs pleaded guilty.

In the case of Simms it was stated by MoT ihide examiners that two of the company's thicles had been stopped while leaving the irminal and their drivers had been asked to ke their vehicles to the weighbridge at the irtan Arrow depot, Kentish Town Road, W5. The vehicles had been weighed and it id been found that one exceeded the permitd grossweight by one ton 16cwt and the :her by one ton 18cwt.

The examiners said that the vehicles when opped had at least two wheels outside the spot and had therefore begun their journeys the public highway. Both drivers, however, )ntested this fact.

When asked why vehicles with the appropate legal carrying capacities had not been sent to the depot, the drivers answered that BR never specified the weight of the loads to be collected from its Freightliner terminals, and when the drivers arrived to collect the loads only an approximate weight was given.

It was stated in court that when Mr. Kenneth Simms. a director of the defendant cornpany, received the summons, he said: "Government policy is to encourage the use of Freightliners. We are using them and this is what happens. My point is that these containers were loaded by the railway—or your Ministry, if you like. They should adopt the system used in Germany and that is to weigh the containers when they are lifted from the railway by cranes. I think the Ministry has a duty here.

"If we had an independent weigh and it was found to be overweight, and returned to the railway with the load, the Freightliner system would fall apart. They won't stand for it," The charge was found to be proved and the company was fined £5 on each count with 20 guineas costs. British Railways and Goymer and Higgs were fined similar amounts and ordered to pay three guineas costs.