Control of Vehicles Changed
Page 11
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Unusual Circumstances Revealed in Application for Renewal of A Licence
WHAT Mr. V. R. Shepherd, for the applicants, described as a "State trial " commenced before the NorthWestern Licensing Authority, Mr. W. Chamberlain, at Liverpool, last week. Messrs. Dunn's Transport, 11, Ormskirk Road, Aintree, Liverpool, applied for a renewal of their A licence for two 2.i-ton vehicles to carry ships' stores and fittings, and general goods from Liverpool and district, to Scottish towns, seaports and elsewhere, as required.
Applications Interlocked.
Mr. Shepherd said that the application was listed for hearing on September 22 and they were ready to go on with their case on that day. Before it 'was called, however, the case of a Mr: T. R. Campbell was brought up, and this applicant asked for an adjournment. The objecting railway companies there-upon asked that, if an adjournment were to be granted to Mr. Campbell, the case of Messrs. Dunn's Transport should also be adjourned to the same date, as the two applications were closely interwoven.
Mr. Shepherd said that was the first intimation that either he or anyone else had that Mr. Campbell's case had anything to do with that of Messrs. Dunn's Transport. The circumstances which ultimately came to light were not considered by the applicants, at that time, to be of much importance, because Messrs. Dunn had not appreciated the true position of affairs. Apparently, Mr. Campbell must have been in rather straitened cireurnstances, alleged Mr. Shepherd, and Mr. Dunn assisted him financially by guaranteeing the payments to the hire-purchase company in respect of the instalments on his two vehicles, and paying the driver. This arrangement started about June this year, when Mr. Dunn took over virtual control of Mr. Campbell's vehicles.
Responsible for the Vehicle.
Mr. Dunn had no idea that this procedure was .illegal, hilt, whatever the facts might be, he was, from the legal point of view, the person responsible for that vehicle. So soon as he was told that it was improper, he ceased op.erating those vehicles, and since that time he had not used them at all.
Much the same arrangement had been made by Mr. Dunn with another operator of one vehicle, and in that case, too, the "machine was not now being used.
The hearing was adjourned after Mr. Dnrin had given evidence.