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EXTRAORDINARY STORY SAYS DEPUTY LICENSING AUTHORITY
Page 47
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'VII IS is an appalling state of affairs and I have never Seen anything like it ". said the Metropolitan deputy Licensing Authority, Mr. C. J. Macdonald, last week when he rejected applications for full-term B licences made on behalf of 14 tipper operators . by Mr. John Costello, managing director of Road Foundations Ltd.
Mr. Costello sought licences authorizing carriage of road-making and excavated materials, asphalt and hot coated stone to and from the High Wycombe by-pass. -A supplementary condition sought (dependent on weather conditions) was for carriage of ground rock salt for highway authorities from Winsford. Cheshire. as sub-contractors of and as directed by ICI Ltd.
Mr. R. M. Partington said the "simple application " on behalf of the operators present in court should be heard as one. All the applicants had worked on shortterm licences . on the High Wycombe by-pass before. He. reminded Mr. Macdonald that at a hearing in February. the deputy LA had suggested that fullterm B licences should be applied for if the duration of the work justified this.
There was "a lot of coming and going" by tipper operators on road contracts. submitted Mr. Costello. At .High Wycombe. the chalk sub-soil stopped operations in wet weather, and he wanted vehicles which would otherwise be idle to help distribute road salt_ for ICI.
Questioned by Mr. J. Amphlett, for objector M. C. Pearce Ltd.. Colnbrook. Mr. Costello said his contract did not call for a specific number of vehicles to be supplied, but he assessed the number at 50. He knew the quantities of materials to he moved and was sure it could he done. He was not aware that Green Cubitt and Keir (the main contractors) had asked Pearce to help -because of Road Foundation's "total failure" to supply sufficient vehicles.
SUPPORT FROM ICI Supporting the application. Mr. E. H. Walker. head of road transport section, Mond division of ICI, spoke of the growth of sales of ground rock salt in recent years and of the serious distribution problems in some areas. ICI supported applications to vary B-licence conditions to enable the traffic to be cleared to southern counties: he estimated that .17.000 tons would not have been delivered by the end of September. It was hoped in the future to digribute the product over 12 months. Rates, he concluded. were adequate or a low-cost product.
When Mr. Amphlett questioned Mr. Costello as to the licence position of the operators in court it became clear that. although some were properly licensed, a few were totally unlicensed or had failed to renew licences in time. Two operators were licensed for work on Ml. but not High Wycombe. Intervening Mr. Macdonald strongly criticized the loose administration of Road Foundations Ltd., who had aided and abetted illegal carriage, and Ile could not understand why ICI considered unlicensed operators for distribution of ground rock salt. Mr. Walker said he was not aware of the situation revealed at the inquiry: he had sought the advice of the RHA in the north west, hut he had not directly approached the RHA in London.
Giving his decision. Mr. Macdonald agreed to renew existing short-term licences and to grant certain pending ones when fees were paid. As to the rest, he would defer his decision pending further information. " I cannot issue a blank cheque on the basis of this extraordinary story ". he concluded.
Appeal Allowed in Part by Minister
AN appeal by Mr. J. Carney against the decision of the West Midland Traffic Commissioners in refusing an application to vary the conditions of a road service licence authorizing an express carriage service between Handsacre and Stafford, was not upheld in its entirety by the Minister of Transport. But an order was made on the Commissioners to vary the conditions so as to permit the picking-up of English Electric Co. Ltd. workers at Rugeley (Armitage Road) for setting down at Stafford (English Electric Co. f.td.1 and vice versa.
In his written decision the Minister said he had to consider the extent to which a proposed service was necessary or desirable in the public interest, and also the extent io which the needs of the proposed route were adequately served. He agreed with the Commissioners that sufficient justification was not shown for superimposing Mr. Carney's service upon the existing regular daily stage services operated by Midland Red.
Adjourned Again THE application of Oliver Hart and Sons Ltd. for an A licence for 27 tippers of 2061 tons, most of which are already in use on C licence, was adjourned for the second time on Tuesday by the North Western Licensing Authority. Mr. C. R. Hodgson—on this occasion sine die, with the parties left to advise readiness. (The first hearing was reported in the The Commercial Motor, September 24.)
In dispute was the question of the exact nature of an undertaking given in March by Blainscough Transport Ltd.. parent company of Oliver Hart and Sons.
Salford Corporation bus fares are to he increased from October 17. In general, fares tin to 6d. increase by Id. and those over 7d. by 2d.: a 3d. minimum ordinary fare will be introduced.