One-month licence for Lorrow

18th September 1970, Page 123

18th September 1970

Page 123

Page 123, 18th September 1970 — One-month licence for Lorrow

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• The Northern LA, Mr J. A. T. Hanlon. on Monday, heard an application by Larrow Transport (Northern) Ltd for 0 licences for nine vehicles and nine trailers in possession and for 25 vehicles and 25 trailers to be acquired.

Mr Julian G. W. Sandys, representing Larrow, said that the application form was signed by Mr A. Berkshire, who had worked for Davis Group companies since denationalization and who was previously with BRS Ltd. "He will be the man who will run Larrow Transport (Northern) if a grant is made," said Mr Sandys, who went on to say that the shares of the company were held by Mr Berkshire (2) and by Mrs Rachel Davis (98), wife of Mr Abraham Davis. There was an agreement in letter form whereby the shares held by Mrs Davis would be transferred to Mr Berkshire.

At Station Road, Birtley, Larrow had 10 drivers, four mechanics and three additional staff. In London there were four mechanics and two staff on a maintenance sharing arrangement with Plaistow Transport Ltd.

Mr Berkshire said that their statements were composed by a Maj. F. J. Philpot, formerly chief engineer for the Cornhill Insurance company who in February 1965 became the claims manager of the Davis Group. When the group collapsed he became an insurance assessor on his own account and he was now a part-time adviser to Larrow.

It was said that in December last he applied for an 0 licence which was signed by Mr Sammy Davis but it was not received by the LA. Mr Berkshire and Maj. Philpot were said to have made several telephone calls to the Ministry of Transport, asking why they had not been granted an 0 licence, and they were told "by someone in the office that they were snowed under with work and that they would get a licence before March 1".

This was denied by Mr D. Anderson, an MoT officer who stated that an application for an 0 licence was not received until July 6. The application form was dated June 23.

Mr Berkshire stated that he did not know that he was operating illegally until he received an objection from the Road Haulage Association.

For the RHA, Mr T. H. Campbell Wardlaw established that vehicles had been operated since March 1 without an 0 licence and were on the road on the day of the public inquiry. He submitted that their insurance policies were invalidated because they had no operator's licence.

The Larrow application for an 0 licence showed three prosecutions; February 1969, dangerous parts, £20; May 1969, defective silencer and defective brakes, £23; April 1970, defective tyre, £30.

Mr Hanlon read a list of 23 convietions in 1969 and three in 1970. It was conceded

that seven of the 1969 and two of the 1970 offences were not prosecutions which ought to have been included in the 0 application. GV9s were issued as follows: 1966, 14; 1967, 3; 1968, 15; 1969, 10; 1970,4.

It was agreed by Mr Berkshire, Maj Philpot and Mr W. R. Green, manager for Larrow Northern (formerly a lorry driver for the Davis Group) that some of the GV9s had been issued to other Larrow companies but when Mr Green was asked by the LA to look at the copies of the GV9s he identified a number of the drivers as being in the employ of Lan-ow Northern. Mr Green also agreed that until one month ago all the facilities for maintenance which they stated that they had were in fact not so, and that their facilities for maintenance had been unsatisfactory for a long time.

Mr Sykes, a Ministry examiner, was called who stated that he had inspected the premises on August 5 last and he accepted them as satisfactory to maintain a maximum of 25 units and 25 trailers. He added that there were only two fitters and one handyman. Both the fitters were Turkish and could not read English and, on. re-call, Mr Berkshire said that their inspection forms were now written in Turkish.

Mr Hanlon asked Mr Berkshire and Maj Philpot to write on a piece of paper, and pass to him, how much money they had personally and how much money the company had.

Summing up, Mr Hanlon said he was not prepared to grant an 0 licence for the company so long as it was controlled by the Davis family. He granted an interim 0 licence for one month for six vehicles and nine trailers. Before the end of one month he must have documentary evidence that at least 51 per cent of the shares were held by Mr Berkshire and there must be no underlying conditions whereby those shares could he automatically transferred back to the Davis family. If satisfied, he would grant an 0 licence" for one year for six vehicles and nine trailers but if there was any change in the directorship or the shareholding he must be notified within one month.