SCOTTISH ROADRAILERS BID REFUSED
Page 33
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Decision in Met. area reserved and application pending in the Northern area 'THE first application of its kind in this L country concerning Roadrailers was refused by the Scottish Licensing Authority, Mr. A. B. Birnie, in a reserved decision made known this week. The application—which was heard in Edinburgh last: week—was by a firm of Leeds hauliers, Archbolds (Freightage) Ltd., who sought an A licence authorizing two Road railers to carry general goods within 60 miles of Portobello, Edinburgh. The application was opposed by many Scottish hauliers, including John Russell (Grangemouth) Ltd., Atlas Express Ltd., W. Dobson (Edinburgh) Ltd., Russell of Bathgate Ltd., James Kemp (Leslie) Ltd. and W. C. Calderwood Ltd.
Mr. T. H, Campbell Wardlaw, for Archbolds, submitted that the application was unique and could not be judged by normal traffic court standards. It must be considered, he said, from the national viewpoint and in terms of section 174(4) of the 1960 Road Traffic Act, which required that Licensing Authorities should have consideration for road/rail co-ordination.
In his decision, Mr. Birnie agreed that the application merited sympathetic consideration under section 174(4)(f), but he considered that the evidence, which related solely to the carriage of whisky and fruit juices from Glasgow to Edinburgh for onward carriage by railway, was not sufficient to warrant a normal user of "general goods".
In view of the declared base, Mr. Birnie said that he expected to hear evidence for the need of traffic from that base. He believed that had the true source of the traffic been made clear in the application, further objections might have been forthcoming from hauliers in the Glasgow area. It was clear, be added, that if. the application were granted, a considerable -amount of capacity would be set free for other uses, and commented on the fact that the applicants did not offer to surrender any of the vehicles they held on licence in Great Britain.
Roadrailers were also the subject of an application made to the Metropolitan L.A. an Tuesday by Russell of Bathgate Ltd., who sought a short-term A licence for one vehicle to operate carrying general goods within 50 miles of a base at Hatfield. Decision was reserved.
Yet a third application —this time by Crows Transport Ltd. of Gateshead—for Road railers is scheduled for hearing by the Northern Licensing Authority at Newcastle on February 1 I. Crows are seeking a new B licence for two vehicles in this instance.