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MR. HANLON LIMITS B.R.S.

22nd June 1956, Page 34
22nd June 1956
Page 34
Page 34, 22nd June 1956 — MR. HANLON LIMITS B.R.S.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

NORMAL-USER CONDITION

GRANTING an A licence, last week, for an oiler to replace an old petrol vehicle at the Carleton (Carlisle Group) depot of British Road Services, Mr. J. A. T. Hanlon, Northern Licensing Authority, refused to accept the normal-user condition, "General goods, Great Britain." He did so after Mr. T. H. Campbell Wardlaw had made strong submissions on behalf of J. and W. Watt, Ltd., Carlisle, the objectors.

Mr. Wardlaw also attacked the B.R.S. practice of transferring vehicles between depots, which, he contended, threatened the structure of licensing.

Mr. A. Jones, depot manager, said that there were nine A-licence vehicles at Carleton employed mainly on night services to London and various big provincial cities. He told Mr. Wardlaw that he knew that the British Transport Commission had urged Licensing Authorities not to accept the expression, " general goods, Great Britain." He was then, asked why an exception should be made for the vehicle concerned in the application.

Vehicle Used Generally "We need these vehicles to give a service to many parts of the country," answered Mr. Jones. "This vehicle has been used generally and cannot be defined to any particular place."

Mr. Wardlaw said that his clients sought a more specific definition of the normal-user condition. "It is no good the B.T.C. submitting that independent hauliers must never give 'general goods, Great Britain' while they [the Commission] are to be in a class apart permitted to use that expression," he said.

A disconcerting state of -affairs had been disclosed. B.R.S. were operating from Carleton vehicles permanently based elsewhere, added Mr. Wardlaw. This should be corrected as soon as possible.

It is obviously going to unbalance the whole licensing system in this country if such a state of affairs is going to increase, or even be permitted. No one would know what was happening in any particular place," he added, "Licence Could be Revoked" "I would .go so far as to say this would come within Section 9 of the 1953 AO, and you would have power to revoke a licence if such a stage of affairs or conduct was to be continued," he told the Authority.

Mr. F. J. McHugh, for B.R.S., said that the difficulties raised by Mr. Wardlaw were created by the state of flux in the affairs of B.R.S. "At the moment," he explained, "there are many disposals taking place and changes within B.R.S., and it is not possible to have formal applications for changes of base.

"it is. however, the Commission's intention that the bases will be corrected by application when the final balance of vehicles retained is decided." The vehicle concerned in the application was based at Carlisle.

Mr. Hanlon: "I have come to the conclusion that in this case the description of normal trier can be more clearly defined as mainly machinery, building materials, agricultural produce, foodstuffs and textiles,' and the normal district 'Scotland, the north-west, Midlands and south on trunk and tramp services, as required '."

The application was granted in these terms with the applicants' concurrence.

DUNDEE REJECTS Its. BONUS A PROPOSAL to pay a merit bonus r-k of 1 is. weekly to platform staff for prompt turnout and completion of duties has been unanimously rejected by Dundee Transport Committee.

They accepted without comment the recommendation of a sub-committee which had heard a deputation from the Transport and General Workers' Union and had considered a report from the manager, Mr. W. L. Russell. The subcommittee's view was that there were no special difficulties to justify the submission to the National Joint Industrial Council of a case for the payment of rates deviating from the national rates.

COVENTRY CONTEST CHANGE

THE site of the manceuvring tests in the Coventry eliminating round of the Lorry Driver of the Year Competition, on July 1, has been changed to the car park of the Standard Motor Co., Ltd., Banner Lane, Coventry. Vehicles will be inspected and questions on the Highway Code will be answered at the adjoining premises of Wicktnabs, Ltd. Vehicles will assemble at Pool Meadow, Hales Street, Coventry, from 8.45 a.m. onwards.

In the eliminating round at Oxford on July 15, vehicles will begin to leave St. Giles at 9 a.m. on the road section to Oxford Airport, Kidlington, where the tests will be held. They will be dispatched at one-minute intervals.

BRISTOW APPEAL RESULT

THE Transport Tribunal have dismissed the appeal of the British Transport Commission against a grant by the Metropolitan Deputy Licensing Authority to C. Bristow, Ltd. That company's cross-appeal has partly succeeded.

The Tribunal's decision is reported on page 474.


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