Evidence Required for Increased Tonnage
Page 34
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
AS stated in last week's issue, the Western Licensing Authority has issued, for the guidance of applicants for additional vehicles under A or B licences, a circular setting out, troadly, the evidence that should be
given. This document substantially endorses the advice already offered to applicants by The Commercial Motor.
There are four grounds on which additional tonnage fnay be justified. One is an expansion of industry in a particular locality, or an expansion of business in particular trades, proof of which must be submitted. The second ground is to avoid the need for hiring vehicles, where it can be shown that, for specific reasons, such as inconvenience or the unsuitability of hired machines, this practice is unsatisfactory.
The need for spare vehicles for maintenance purposes is another good reason for increased tonnage. In many cases, spare vehicles are employed in the ratio of one to 10 service machines. The fourth ground applies to operators of trunk services, who provide vehicles for local transport.
Time is saved by preparing statistic's in a clear statement, copies of which should be supplied at the inquiry to the Licensing Authority and to the objectors. The following evidence should be available:—
Nature of the licences held (A or B) ; total number of vehicles authorized and total unladen weight (in the case of vehicles authorized since the current licence was granted, the date of the addition, registration numbers and unladen weight) ; number and total unladen weight of vehicles desired to be added; applicant's general activities as a carrier, including places served, extent of his services, and the classes of traffic dealt with ; tonnage of goods carried by the whole of the applicant's own vehicles year by year, or for two or more specific corresponding periods ; also revenue earned in such periods.
The tonnage carried and any revenue earned by vehicles hired should not be included in the above, but shouldbe stated separately, together with the .7 amount paid for hire.
Other evidence that should be available is as. follows :—Information as.. to whether the increase of business be due -to requirements of customers with whom the applicant was dealing in the basic year, or to those of customers obtained since that period; names of established clients; dates on which they became customers, and extent of increased transport required by them. .
If increased business be due to the activities of customers obtained sincethe basic year, the evidence of nesses should show the reasons for pre,. ferring.the applicant's services, or that the transport required has not previously been effected by other established carriers, including the railways.