398 B.T.C. UNITS NOW FOR SALE
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First Tenders by December. 21 : "Highest Price Wins"
TENDERS for transport units in the first list must be submitted I to the British Transport Commission by December 21, or, if buildings and land are included in the unit by January 11. The first list comprises 398 units made up of 3,154 vehicles.
The locations and brief particulars of the units may be obtained on written application to the chief secretary, British Transport Commission, 222 Marylebone Road, London, N.W.1. The envelope must he marked " List No. 1."
Any person Wishing to tender for a unit must apply in writing to the chief secretary for particulars a.nd conditions of sale and a tender form. The number of the unit for which it is desired to tender must be stated.
A second list will be published on December 28 and a third towards the end of January. The 'three schedules will contain about 1,600 units (10,000' vehicles).
Of the 3,154 vehicles now on sale, 473. are in 85 units in Scotland, 512 in 60 units in the north-east. 493 in 53 units in the north-west, 445 in 56 units in the Midlands, 200 in 30 units in the Western Division. 316 in 38 units in• the South-western Division, 470 in 45 units in the South-eastern Division and 245 in 32 units in East Anglia.
Units and Sizes The number of units of each size is as follows:—One vehicle, 51; two, 53; three, 51; four, 49; five to nine, 61; 10-14, 80; 15-19, 32; 20-29, 16; 30-39, four; 40-50, two. The total of units (399) does not tally with the official figure of 398 and the discrepancy is the result of a last-minute adjustment.
The catalogue of units consists of 24 pages and gives merely the unit number, address, brief details of premises and number of vehicles, trailers and additional (spare) vehicles. Makes and types are not stated. Further detail has to be obtained from the Commission.
Sir Malcolm Trustram Eve, Q.C.. chairman of the Road Haulage Disposal Board, at a Press conference in London on Tuesday evening, appealed to everyone genuinely interested in acquiring vehicles or other property to make his wishes known to the Board at Clive House, Petty France, Lcindon,
What Buyers Want Firm offers were not required. "We would like letters simply stating how many vehicles would be wanted, of what kind and in what locality; also whether premises are required or not," said Sir Malcolm.
"Our present task," he adiLd, "is to try to make the sales programme fit in with the needs of both the Commission and of the buyers. so as to get the best price for the undertaking as a whole. We have some good evidence of the wishes of the smaller operators, covering about one-third of the total vehicles available, and the Commission are ready to start the issue A24 of sale catalogues for this property. For the other two-thirds we are at.' present short of evidence of the buyers' needs and we want people to tell us now what they want to buy."
A second list of units for sale will be advertised on December. 28, and a third towards the end ofJanuary. These three lists will together contain some 10,000 vehicles, made up into about 1,600 units. Over 2,000 vehicles will be offered in lots of one, two, three or four. Rather more than a third of the units will include garages, depots or other buildings.
Sir Malcolm made it clear that the Board were not promising that the wishes of prospective buyers would always be met, "Our duty is to see that the best price is obtained for the whole undertaking and buyers cannot be allowed to pick out the plums only and leave a rather unsaleable cake behind," he said.
Highest Price: No Preference
In answer to questions, he emphasized that in practically all cases the highest price would be accepted. No preference would be given to an operator tendering for a transport unit in a locality in which he was already based or to an ex-haulier who wished to buy back his old business.
The Board were not compelled to recommend acceptance of the highest tender and would not do so if they thought that the amount quoted was not the best available price. No reserve price would be placed on a unit, but the Board would have their own valuation in mind.
Sir Malcolm declined to enumerate the considerations that would be taken into account in deciding a reasonable price. If the highest tender were not acceptable, the unit would be withdrawn and might be amalgamated with another.
His attitude towards disposal was summed up in the words: "The highest price wins."