BRAKE TESTS—NO COMMENT BY MINISTRY
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From our Political Correspondent
THE Ministry of Transport is mobi1 taMing a slightly wrathful silence over a report, published this week, that more than half the heavy lorries tested at the Road Research Laboratory's Crowthorne establishment had failed footbrake tests at 50 m.p.h.—and that all of them failed handbrake tests as well.
The tests, carried out on commercial vehicles up to two years old, were the second of a series designed to assist Mr. Marples in formulating specific braking standards for goods vehicles.
The report alleged that the tests showed that out of all the types a commercial vehicles lent for the occasion, too many did not have enough braking power to cope with emergencies at speed.
On the eve of yesterday's nationalization debate in the Commons, the Ministry refused to confirm or deny the report. It is understood that officials were inclined to challenge the figures given, but no forecast was made about when the official results would be published.
Fork-lifts for Tractive Units
C'ORK-LIFF conversions for tractive units, to enable prime movers to Load or unload their own and other semi-trailers, arc to be produced by a British company. H.B.R. Metal Indus
tries Ltd., Windmill Road, Sunbury-onThames, has bought the patent for fork lift tractive units taken out by Mr. C. E. Page, which was described exclusively in The Commercial Motor on April 17. Production and sales are to be undertaken. by John Villiers Trading Ltd. (proJucers of Villiers tipping senii-trailers), Athich company has recently been tcquired by H.B.R. Metal Industries.
The intention is to manufacture forkift conversions for a range of tractive mit makes, and series production is :xpected to begin by the end of this Year. k prototype is to be built using a
ommer tractive unit, which will be =pled to -a Villiers tipping semi-trailer Is a demonstration outfit.
Mr. Page. the original designer, retains in interest in the device, in that he will -eceive royalties on sales.
NEWS IN BRIEF Nmedin to Present Clean Exhaust Award: feature of the London eliminating round if the national Lorry Driver of the Year !ompetition will be the presentation of an ward by the Dunedin Engineering Co. Ltd. o the driver of the vehicle with the cleanest ichaust, as measured by smoke-meter, intries for the contest number 149.
tall Car Express: On Monday express reight trains, each carrying up to 120 export ars, began running from the Midlands to )over and Harwich. The first two trains fere from Knowle and Dorridge, near tirmingham, to Dover and from B.M.C. :owley to Harwich. The new service has cen organized jointly by British Railways nd MAT. Transport Ltd.