Severe warnings for fish carriers
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• A severe warning about overloading of fish lorries was given to merchants in Aberdeen and district last week by Mr A. B. Birnie, the Scottish LA.
Following earlier appearances of four other companies at public inquiry (CM July 2) Mr Birnie said in giving judgment that he was perturbed at the amount of overloading of fish going on in the area. Since these four operators had been called to show cause under Section 69 other cases had come to his notice.
"I want this warning to be widely known," the LA said. "I consider I have done more than my duty to operators by giving them this warning and I hope everyone will realize that I cannot continue to deal with cases of overloading by giving severe warnings."
Mr Birnie said that he could not afford the luxury of being lenient to the little man because he had only one vehicle. "A penalty of three months off the road could destroy a little man," he said, and added that the law was intended to protect the public from the dangers of overloaded and poorly maintained vehicles whether the operator was large or small.
The firms before the court last week were John Henry, Fraserburgh, and Seavite Foods Ltd, Aberdeen. The others were heard at the previous hearing and dealt with last week. They were P. Burns and Son, Fraserburgh and A. Gove and Son, Gourdon. The operators had all previously been convicted in a Sheriff's court for overloading offences.
Mr Birnie said he did not accept some of the excuses offered by operators. Among them were the varying weights of fish boxes, whether the journey was made in wet or fine weather, alleged inaccessibility of weighbridges and the rush to get a perishable commodity to market.