Vehicle Weights Changed: Fleet Strength " Obscure "
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AN appeal by the British Transport Commission against the granting of an A licence by the Metropolitan Deputy Licensing Authority for six vehicles, totalling 37 tons 12 cwt., to C. Bristow, Ltd., 123 Solebay Street, London, E.3, was heard by the Transport Tribunal in London on Tuesday,
Mr. F. A. Stockdale, for the Commission, said that at the time of the inquiry, Bristow's had 30 vehicles on an A licence. When the licence was renewed in March, 1954, the total unladen weight was 93 tons 6 cwt. When the Authority made the grant for the six additional vehicles, he adjusted the unladen weight of the 30 existing ones by 241 tons.
Vehicles Altered Since the first renewal of this licence, said Mr. Stockdale, there had been certain structural alterations to some of the vehicles and the result was that they had for taxation purposes a much greater tonnage than their licensed weight.
In addition to the 30 vehicles on A licence, Bristows had a number on special A licences. The total size of this fleet, he submitted, was obscure. Figures mentioned by the applicants at the inquiry had varied from 44 to 54 vehicles. Of this fleet, some 25 were licensed in the Metropolitan Area and the remainder at bases all over the country,
Bristow's original licence was for 20 vehicles to carry building and roadmaking materials, and coal and coke within a 60-mite radius. From MayJune, 1954, they had 41 vehicles and two trailers authorized to carry perishable goods for one customer, and goods on behalf of British Road Services.
Condition Restricted At the end of June, the ordinary licence condition was confined to the 30 A-licensed vehicles and the licences of another 11 vehicles, which had been on short-term permit as an emergency measure during a rail strike, expired.
Mr. Stockdale submitted that the applicants had called evidence on the first day of the inquiry showing that they carried substantially for one customer — Channel Transporters, Portsmouth.
On the second day. their counsel, he said, had handed in a certified document showing customers invoiced by Bristow's. Channel Transporters had not, in fact, been invoiced by the company, according to this document.
He added that the second main customer mentioned by the applicants was the Phoenix Timber Co., Rainharn. which again was found on the second day not to have been invoiced by Bristow's.
Mr. Stockdale said that two other
customers had submitted evidence at the inquiry—Guard and Young, Ltd., by letter and P. E. Gordon, Ltd., by witness. Both these customers had hitherto met their requirements by way of C-hiring arrangements. They had stated that they wished to dispense with their own drivers and hire from Bristow's in the ordinary way.
Mr. Hubert Hull, president, suggested that all that the evidence amounted to was work for one customer—P. E. Gordon, Ltd.
The hearing continued on Wednesday.
BUS MAINTENANCE GOOD THE standard of bus maintenance in the area was " very creditable," said Mr. J. I. Henson. clerk to the East Midland Licensing Authority, at the annual dinner of the East Midland Area of the Passenger Vehicle Operators' Association in Nottingham on Monday_ Out of about 6,000 inspections made during the year ended March. 1954, only 98 cattsed vehicles to be suspended.
About half the 5,500 buses and coaches in the area were owned by operators of 200 vehicles or more. There was, however, still a large interest for the independent operator.
Cllr. L. Mitson, Sheriff of Nottingham, called for a reduction. in fuel tax and said that the public should be generous in the matter of fare increases.
TRENT BROKE RECORDS A RECORD number of passengers-L-1 61m.—was carried by Trent Motor Traction Co., Ltd., last year. Mileage operated (16m.) was also a record. These figures were given by the chairman, Mr. .1. W. Womar, at the annual meeting of the company on Wednesday.
An increase in revenue, despite the serious effect on . traffic of the bad summer weather, arose mainly from their having a full year's receipts from the Loughborough town services, which were taken over from Messrs. Aliens Motor Services, 1VIountsorrel, in September, 1953.
Expenditure on new roiling stock during the year was £115,560, and a further 080,000 was to be spent for this purpose during 1955-56.
GERMAN ONSLAUGHT ON BRAZIL
GERMAN vehicle manufacturing interests in Brazil are to be expanded. Mercedes-Benz are to set up new assembly lines to attain an annual output of 6,000 lorries in addition to greater passenger-vehicle production.
Volkswagen intend to increase their production of goods vehicles, now running at 10 a day. Bussing are to build a factory, and Borgward are to establish a branch in the country.
The Bosch concern are to make sparking plugs and lighting equipment at a new plant near Sao Paulo.