Another Railway Offensive T HERE is no doubt that the railways
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are making strong efforts to restrict hauliers to local operation, and there is a widespread belief that, later; they will direct their activities to C-licence holders. A case which, although superficially of no great interest, strikingly demonstrates the former tendency, was recently heard by the North-Western Deputy Licensing Authority.
A carrier applied for an A licence and the railways objected on the ground that the applicant, from being virtually a local haulier, a few years ago, had launched out into long-distance transport. The applicant submitted that, in the basic year, his activities comprised 80 per cent. of local work, and 20 per cent, of long-distance haulage. Therefore, he cannot be accused of attempting to force his way into the long-distance field and, in our opinion, no objector has the right to declare that the applicant's business shall not be expanded in either direction, or both.
This case demonstrates an important principle and is, in some ways, akin to the attempts often made by the railways to force applicants for A licences, who seek to carry out increased business for a limited number of customers, to take out Contract A licences. Although there are instances in which a Contract A licence would be suitable, if the customer could be persuaded to bind himself to a particular haulier for at least a year, there are many in which such an action would undoubtedly be uneconomic from the points of view of both the carrier and the client.
Any attempt at restriction of this nature, as well as the limitation of road hauliers to local work and the unnecessary restriction of B licences, . should be strongly resisted, both by the individuals concerned and their representative organizations.