Meat Hauliers Granted Licence and Given a Stern Warning
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A STERN warning was given to John Miller and Sons, Cupar, Fife, when they were granted a new A licence last week to .operate a meat delivery service.
Mr. Alex Robertson, Scottish Deputy Licensing Authority, told them that he would shortly take steps to satisfy himself that their drivers were not working excessive hours. If there were any question of men being overworked, the company had better put their house in order.
Miller's had offered to surrender three of their seven existing A-licence vehicles if they were granted a new two-vehicle licence for meat work. They wanted to carry meat for the Fatstock Marketing Corporation from Inverarie, Aberdeenshire, and Buckhaven and Kirkcaldy, Fifeshire, for delivery in Scotland, the Midlands, West and South of England and South Wales, with part loading from Aberdeen to. Croydon.
They were opposed by British Railways, B.R.S. (Pickfords), Ltd., Charles Alexander and Partners (Transport), Ltd., and Danskin's Transport Service.
Mr. T. E. Paton, the Corporation's area transport manager, said he did not intend to divert the railways' traffic from Aberdeen to Smithfield. This was an admirable service, but the railways were not in a position to offer suitable facilities from Inverarie and Fife or from Aberdeen to Croydon.
In July, 1957, Miller's did a test run to B18 Bristol which proved highly successful, and the ensuing publicity led to three big Welsh orders. Alexander's now offered similar facilities, but these were not made available until after the Corporation started using Miller's vehicles.
Mr. G. Ff. Middleton, a partner in Miller and Sons, said he had offered facilities to the Corporation despite the fact that his normal user restricted him to 25 miles. The present application was intended to put his house in order in view of the Knight appeal decision.
Mr. J. S. Forbes, a director of Alexander's, alleged that if Miller's vehicles were reaching the markets in time their drivers must be working excessive hours.
Granting the application, subject to the surrender of three existing vehicles, Mr. Robertson said he was satisfied that Miller's did not realize they had been operating irregularly in the past.
"I look upon the surrender of the third vehicle as a penalty for the irregularities," he added.
NO NEW LOW-LOADER
AN application by Sunter Bros., Ltd., Northallerton, for a new low-loader on A licence, was due to be heard by the Northern Licensing Authority last week. but was withdrawn. The company said later that the application might be pursued at some future date.
unexpected fall in bulk traffic caused by conditions in the coal and steel industries.
The result was likely to be a deficit on the railways this year of £85m.—about £20m. more than last year. As the Commission had undertaken to reduce working costs by another £20m. a year, the Government would advance the necessary funds to cover the deficit.
Sir Brian reported that in the first 36 weeks of this year rail traffic receipts had dropped by more than £18m. (5-} per cent.). A decline in freight receipts was responsible for £16.7m. (7 per cent.) of this amount. Activity in the industries vital to the railways was now below the level of 1956.
He called attention also to the decline in Government traffic by rail, which fell from £25-fm. in 1956 to an estimate of not more than £20m. this year.
He said discussions were taking place with the heavy industries to improve the revenue from certain important flows of bulk and heavy traffics. It was the Commission's policy, as far as possible, to keep down freight charges so as to encourage traffic.
It was likely that the Commission's total borrowing powers in respect of deficits would be exhausted by next year.
ARTCO INVITATION
ALL h aulier s interested in the co-ordination of long-distance operation are invited by Associated Road Transport Contractors, Ltd., to an open meeting at Chelsea Cloisters, Sloane Avenue, London, S.W.3, at 2.30 p.m. on November 28.