Illegal Contract Work Claimed
Page 48
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ON the applicant's own showing, he had made it clear that he was running his contract-carriage business without regard to the law, and should not be granted a licence, said Mr. H. Backhouse, for nine objectors to an application by Messrs. R. R. and M. Williams before the North Western Traffic Commissioners, at Manchester. last week. A new excursion and tour licence, with 32 destinations and a vehicle allowance of two on any day, starting from Dallam, near Warrington, was sought.
Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., Ribble Motor Services, Ltd., Lancashire United Transport, Ltd., British Transport Commission, F. Mather and Son, F. Shadwell, Shaws Coach Tours, Naylors Motor Services, Ltd., Sykes and Sons, Ltd., and Salford, Leigh and St. Helens Corporations objected.
Mr. E. A. Whitehead, for the applicants, said they were contract-carriage operators. In November, 1953, they had made a similar application for a licence, which was refused on the ground of insufficient evidence.
Estate Extended They were asking for seasonal excursions to Blackpool. Buxton, Llandudno, New Brighton, Rhyl and Southport, and destinations for away matches of the Warrington Rugby League Football Club. The Dallam estate had been considerably built-up recently, and the nearest picking-up point of the objectors was four-fifths of a mile away.
Mr. R. R. Williams. a partner in the business, said they had had receipts of £6,000 in the past two seasons for private parties from the Dallam area. People from the estate had signed a petition asking for local excursions.
Questioned by Mr. Backhouse about alleged irregularities in private-party running. Mr. Williams said if he had tried to keep completely within the law his vehicles would never have moved out of the garage.
Mr. F. Williamson, chairman, asked why he had not replied to a letter from the Commissioners in June, after inquiries by the enforcement section, concerning which he had had six reminders. Mr. Williams said• that through moving his garage and pressure of work it had been overlooked.
Mr. Backhouse submitted that there was not a semblance of a case for a new service. There were already many licensed operators in Warrington. In 1955, L.U.T. applied for additional excursions, and the Commissioners held that existing licences were sufficient.
Mr. Whitehead said that although some of his clients' private-party operations might be. described as irregular and should ran have taken place, since the Victoria Motors' decision most operators had been hoping that the law would be put right.
The application was refused.
TWICE AS FAR ON HALF THE 'FUEL?
IT was appropriate that it should fall I to the lot of a manufacturer to be the guest of honour, said Mr. G. N. Vansittart, chairman of General Motors Ltd., at the annual dinner-dance of the Institute of Road Transport Engineers, in London last Friday. Road transport engineers and manufacturers had much in common and they were, he thought. going to have much more in common in the present situation, when everyone would have to go twice as far on half the fuel.
He stressed the importance of sound technical education and commended the Institute on the formation of its new student grade of membership.
Mr. G. Mackenzie Junner, president of the Institute, responded on behalf of the council and members.
OCTOBER REGISTRATIONS UP
VEHICLES, other than cars and motorcycles, registered for the first time rose from 13,167 in September to 15,780 in October. The biggest single increase was under "Other Goods," the respective figures being 9,445 and
11,617. Other details appear in the table below.