bird's eye
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viewby the Hawk
• Behind the scenes
More than ever this year the Annual Reports of the Licensing Authorities (CM last week) are sprinkled with interesting little facts and findings that illuminate the inner workings of road transport. For example, the Yorkshire LA went further than most in checking on the mystery of the "lost" operators — those who had been expected to apply for 0 licences but never did. Examiners were, for example, sent to the premises of 400 former C-licence holders, picked at random from the files, with the following result: No longer in business or not operating vehicles, 111; untraceable, 91; now operating vehicles below 3+ tons plated, 141; application made under a different trading title, 29; operating exempt vehicles, 3; late applications being processed, 5; failed to apply, 20.
So 20 out of 400, which I make 5 per cent, had not complied with the regulations, which is not a bad record in any industry in the circumstances.
• More reputable
One hears bitter complaints from existing operators about the practices of newcomers who, they say, break the laws and cut the rates. Well, the LAs' reports have little to say about rates, but if the report of John Else in the West Midlands is typical then the newcomers are not nearly so black as they're painted — quite the reverse in fact.
During the year 1970-71 he instituted 650 separate investigations mainly to ensure that new entrants were carrying out their stated intention of complying with drivers' hours and records requirements and were observing the law — and only three prosecutions arose as a result. Though there were many minor breaches "about which advice was given and accepted".
As John Else puts it with his delightful command of English: "Prosecutions remove the more spectacular pinnacles of the offences iceberg, but the unseen erosion of its base by persuasive enforcement effort is equally important."
• Clobbered
The way in which sinners can be picked up in the enforcement net is well illustrated by a case reported by the Western LA. A vehicle examiner put an immediate GV9 on an attic he was investigating, but he passed on information which resulted in the operator subsequently being charged with overloading, having no test certificate, using unsuitable tyres, keeping incorrect records of work and driving the vehicle while under prohibition. On a total of 11 charges he was fined £,165 with £40 costs and later suffered curtailment and then suspension of his licence.
These are the operators the industry can do without.
• Lucky strike
We all know Fred Hope is brave — having seen him demonstrating artics on wet roads with and without his anti-jack-knife device in action. It seems he is also ridiculously lucky.
In October he started a mammoth sales tour of the States and one of his visits was to a fleet owner in a remote part of Arkansas. As they walked back to Fred's car the operator said: "Where can I see one of these devices fitted?" At that moment a wellkept outfit swept into a cafe nearly opposite. Fred's agent watched it pulling in anti said: "He's got one."
He had — and proved to be an ownerdriver who gave an immediate unsolicited testimonial!
• Centurions
Next month — on February 3 to be exact — three Glasgow brothers will be celebrating 100 years of employment in transport. All are with BRS. Hugh, who is 51, is area traffic superintendent in Glasgow and he's been in the game from April 1936. Fiftyfour-year-old Jim started in February 1937, and is now a platform supervisor; and Bert, who is 57, has hardly had time to get his sleeves rolled up, having entered the industry in August 1941, a mere 30-odd years ago. He's now senior traffic clerk at Glasgow depot.
They were all originally with Young's Express Deliveries, absorbed by BRS in 1948. They tell me their father was in transport — but the tradition looks like being broken. With eight sons between them, not one shows an interest in going into the transport industry. Shame!
• Black marks
In only two months since their introduction it seems that the effectiveness of the rear markers on heavy goods vehicles is being impaired by road dirt — as was only to be expected, despite the requirements of the regulations.
A business colleague making a trip from London to the North and back by car last week made a few spot checks. In his daytime northbound check he noted 151 markers, of which 120 were clearly visible, 28 had the yellow obscured and three were covered by tarpaulin ends.
Southbound by night lie adopted a slightly different criterion, and reports that he saw 63; 37 which were clear, 25 providing no reflection (though the yellow stripes were visible in the headlamps of his car) and one illegal do-it-yourself plate with bright orange and red stripes.
• Short course!
Heads turned in Glasgow's morning rushhour traffic on Tuesday when a coach passed at speed out of the city. Assisting the coach, driven very spiritedly by RTITB man Hugh Mitchell, in its non-stop passage across many red traffic lights were two very slick motorcycle patrolmen of the Glasgow City police.
This VIP treatment was for a party of local Labour MPs and the Press (including CM's staffman) heading for a tour of the new Motec 2 at Livingston.
After Glasgow another police motorcycle escort was picked up through Falkirk and later a patrol car joined the coach for the remainder of the journey. Congratulations are, I'm told, merited by Hugh Mitchell for his brave attempt to keep up the pace in a vehicle too short on power and gear ratios to maintain the speed of police motorbikes.
If motorists and pedestrians were startled at the approach and passing of this flying vehicle, I can only guess at their reactions when they read the words on the rear panelling: "TRAINING VEHICLE".