B.R.S. Not Evading 1953 Act ?
Page 42
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
ACCUSATIONS that British Road Services were trying to evade the 1953 Act by obtaining new licences for vehicles to replace those disposed of under denationalization were made before the South Wales Licensing Authority last week at a hearing in Cardiff.
B.R.S. lodged applications to replace five small vehicles at Cardiff by two 14tanners, and 33 small vehicles at Swansea by 12 14-tonners. In each instance, the aggregate carrying capacity of the vehicles for which licences existed was greater than that of the vehicles concerned in the applications. It was stated, however, that the small vehicles had been off the road for a long time.
Mr. Noel Wynne. for Robert Wynn and Sons, Ltd.. objectors. said that his clients viewed the case with the greatest seriousness. The transport industry was in a state of flux, and if B.R.S. were to be allowed to replace small vehicles by larger ones, there might be far too many big vehicles on the roads. Wynn's were willing to provide vehicles for B.R.S.
Mr. L. P. Owen, representing Killay Transport, Ltd., asked the Authority whether it was the intention of Parliament that the 1953 Act should be evaded by this method of getting additional licences and altering the nature of the business.
He continued: "Are we to have repeated applications of this nature
which will enable them to replace the vehicles they are disposing of? There is nothing to prevent them concentrating the bulk of these large vehicles in one area, and it looks as though that is what they are trying to do. We could go on ad lib on this basis and find nothing but 14-tonners in this area."
For the applicants, Mr. Rosser John said that vehicles were not being substituted for units being sold but for those in possession. There was no question of an increase in tonnage, because B.R.S. could not exceed a stipulated figure.
No Change in Business It was policy to replace small vehicles with others of a type which were badly needed. The character of the business as a whole would not be changed. There was still a duty to give an integrated and economic service, he submitted.
Various witnesses from local steel and aluminium works gave evidence of need for the heavy vehicles, and the applications were granted. The Authority remarked that he felt justified in doing so because the effective payload of the new vehicles was lower than that of the old. He suggested that if some traffic had been held up because of lack of transport, B.R.S. might have granted more permits to private operators.