Two Attics for Pitter A T Southampton last week the South
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Eastern deputy Licensing Authority, Mr. A. C. Shepherd, granted Pitter Bros. Ltd. of West End, Southampton, two additional artics on their A licence with normal user of "Mainly fruit and vegetables from Southampton to various Midland and Northern markets.
The application arose from the steady increase in the volume of fruit and vegetables coming in through Southampton Docks and the consequent need to place services to Manchester, Hull and Newcastle, previously run to meet customers' requirements, on a trunk basis; also the termination of an agreement with a i.ivcrpool haulier with whom a " balanced" trunk had been run.
Giving evidence, Mr. K. Pitter, assistant company secretary of the applicant firm, emphasized the specialized nature of his company's work and said considerable strain was being put on vehicles to maintain the present trunk services and it was necessary for Piaci. Bros. to hire on a substantial scale.
A number of fruit and vegetable merchants and importers gave evidence in support of the application. All spoke of the excellent service given by Pitter Bros. over many years, but confirmed that ihere had been cause for complaint through late delivery when hired vehicles had been used. A number of allegations were made concerning delays in delivery by British Road Services and British Railways, both of whom objected to the application.
For B.R.S. it was claimed that they carried a substantial share of the fruit and vegetable traffic from Southampton and that there was spare capacity on their trunk services. It was alleged that Pitter Bros., having been granted two similar vehicles in 1962, specifically to reduce their hiring, promptly used them to carry new traffic, and that the present application was simply another attempt to expand their business.