User Changed Too Long Ago, But . . .
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THE problem of when, to notify a change of normal user was argued at Newtown, Mont, last week, when Evan Evans and Sons, Llanidloes, sought a new A licence with a -complete change of normal user for a vehicle of 3-4 tons.
Mr. J. Edward Jones, for Evan Evans, said the normal user on the existing licence was " general goods, Llanidloes and district." Before the war business was mainly local, but since 1945 customers had required the applicants to go farther afield. The Gas Board, wanted frequent deliveries of coke to South Wales and other customers required journeys to Birmingham for skins and the delivery of pit props to South Wales.
Mr_ E. Evans said that when work started farther afield he bought a text book which said that an A licence entitled an operator to go anywhere,but only recently he realized it was irregular.
Questioned by Mr. G. H. P. Beames, for the British Transport Commission, he agreed that when applying for the licence in 1951 he signed a form asking for the present normal user. He would be prepared to delete general goods and furniture from the new normal user and restrict the districts to mid and south Wales, border counties and Birmingham, deleting Liverpool and the Midlands. Mr. Beames submitted that as the normal user had been greatly modified the Commission would not ask for a refusal.
Mr. Edward Jones said the Commission were looking for trouble in seeking to tie down A licences more strictly than B licences. Mr. Evans was still working for the same customers and providing transport for a rural area.
Mr. A. H. Jolliffe, North Western Deputy Licensing Authority, said he agreed that the applicants had been operating outside their declared intention for too long. They should have sought advice much sooner, but in view of the modifications a _licence would be granted.
RECORDS CASES "TRIFLING ": R.R.S. DISCHARGED
HUDDERSFIELEi magistrates last week gave B.R.S. (Parcels), Ltd., an absolute discharge on four summonses for failing to keep accurate records, subject to payment of 4s. costs on each summons. The charge for failing to keep records, against four drivers, was dealt with in a similar manner. The magistrates remarked that the offences were highly technical, in fact so technical that an absolute discharge was appropriate.
Appearing for B.R.S. (Parcels), Ltd., Mr. T. B. Atkinson told the magistrates that the Licensing Authority had called for the records of various parcels depots in the Yorkshire area and subsequently 44 summonses had been issued in respect of four depots. The alleged offences were trifling, and at the worst technical.
They amounted to failure to record times spent waiting for a trailer to be loaded, and included bank work, loading and unloading, after driving, in the driving hours, although shown on the time sheets.