Escape Clause
Page 38
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QUESTIONS have been addressed to The Commercial Motor on the contractual obligations of anyone who tenders successfully for the meat-haulage vehicles which British Road Services are now running under charter to United Carriers, Ltd. List S2, published last week, contains in a unit 12 depots and 497 licensed vehicles and 273 trailers on charter to U C.L., as successors to the Meat Transport Organisation, Ltd.
The answer is that the two-year agreement between B.R.S. and United Carriers embodies a clause under which the purchaser of the vehicles may, if he wishes, be released from the charter. This is important, because anyone who could command the large sum of money required to buy an established nation-wide meat-transport organization might prefer to deal direct with the meat trade, rather than pay 10 per cent. commission to U.C.L. for passing on the traffic.
United Carriers are tendering for the unit and their bid may be expected to be highly competitive, but there is always the possibility that they might be outbid by some other big interest. The loss of the traffic carried by nearly 800 vehicles, would be extremely serious for them and might well cause the collapse of co-operative enterprise •in meat haulage.
Jumping the Gun
ITH complete freedom only four months distant, the temptation for some hauliers to anticipate the repeal of the 25-mile limit is irresistible. Magistrates seem to hold different views on the gravity of the offence, but some of them are inflicting heavy fines, particularly when the culprit has a "record." In a recent case the maximum penalty of E50 was imposed. No job of haulage can ever be sufficiently profitable to justify taking such a risk.
Apart from commercial considerations, the law must be administered impartially. Moreover, the interests of those who have spent large sums on buying transport units to secure the right to operate outside a radius of 25 miles must be protected. Magistrates are fully entitled to punish flagrant transgressors severely.