Railway Policy Declared
Page 45
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Following the New Act
The Railway Companies State Their Future Intentions Concerning Applications for Goods Licences in the Metropolis
ACONFERENCE of representatives of the four main-line railway. companies and of the Commercial Motor Users Association, the Furniture Warehousemen and Removers Association, the London Cartage and Haulage Contractors Association, the National Road Transport Employers Federation, the National Farmers Union and the Road Haulage Association, convened by the Metropolitan Traffic Commissioner .11.1r. Gleeson E. Robinson), as Licensing Authority under the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933, for the Metropolitan Traffic Area, was held at Romney House, Marsham Street, London, S.W.1, last Monday.
The Licensing Authority explained that the purpose of the conference was to discuss procedure in the Metropolitan Traffic Area under the Act, and to consider what steps might be adopted for giving effect to the licensing provisions of the Act in the best interests of the transport industry, with minimum expense and trouble.
The proceedings at the conference showed that all the interests and associations represented were most anxious to co-operate to achieve the objects of the conference. An important announcement .cref policy was made on behalf of the four main-line railway companies.
Railways Anxious to Help.
"The railway companies," it was stated, "are anxious to assist in carrying out the intentions of Parliament, as expressed in. the Act. They feel that it was designed to stabilize and control road transport and to provide a fair basis of competition between road and rail. They have, therefore, carefully considered the provisions of Part I of the Act, in order to see in what manner they can facilitate its administration.
"It must be borne in mind that the Act gives the railway companies and others the right to object to certain applications for discretionary tonnage, and that the companies would be perfectly entitled to exercise that right and object to all applications by road hauliers which are in conflict with the railway interests. It is, however, felt by the companies that if this course were • followed at the outset a great burden would be placed on the Licensing Authorities and on the industry as a. whole, which would render the administration of the Act extremely difficult in its initial stages.
The railway companies feel sure that they are right in assuming that the same anxiety to carry out the intentions of Parliament actuates the road hauliers as a whole, and that it is by co-operation that the best results can be achieved. It is on this assumption that the railways are prepared to adopt with regard to the first applications for discretionary tonnage, the following policy in the Metropolitan Traffic Area :—
" In the case of applications • made before April 1, 1934, the railways will not oppose an application for an A licence in respect of vehicles specified in that application, which belong to or are in the possession of the applicant under a hire-purchase agreement at the date of such application, when the applicant has also applied
in the same traffic area for licences for claimed tonnage.
"The railway companies are confident that the question as to whether any claim for such tonnage is or is not excessive, in view of the character of the business of any particular applicant, is one which should be left for the determination of the Licensing Authority. At the same time, they will make available for the information of the Licensing Authority any particulars he requires with regard to railway facilities. In making this statement the railway companies wish to make it clear that they will, if they see fit, oppose applications for vehicles not acquired or in the possession of the applicant at the date of the application.
"The railways feel, that an application for an A licence made by an applicant who has not applied for claimed tonnage does not fall within the general_ principle previously enunciated. Therefore, they will exercise their right of objection where it is considered that the circumstances justify this course.
"They also feel that different considerations arise with regard to applications for B licences for discretionary tonnage, more especially in view of the conditions that the Licensing Authority is entitled to impose on such licences. The railways will, therefore, exercise. their right of objection where circumstances justify this course.
Prepared to Meet Road-transport Representatives. "In order, however, to facilitate proceedings before the Licensing Authority, the railway companies will be prepared, without prejudice to their position as objectors, and should the Licensing Authority so desire, to meet representatives of the road interests for the purpose of considering the type of case to which all or any of the conditions set out in the Act should be applied.
"The railways will carefully examine all applications for modifications of both A and B licences, and will exercise their right of objection in such cases as they think fit. They feel that the attitude they propose to adopt is, in all the circumstances, a reasonable one,
"They desire, however, to emphasize that the policy which has now been outlined applies only to applications made for licences for the first currency periods, and the policy which the companies may follow in the future will be considerably influenced by the attitude now adopted by the road-transport industry. Therefore, the railway companies wish to make it quite clear that they are propounding this statement of policy on the footing that they are not to be prejudiced thereby when they come to consider subsequent applications."
The representatives of the associations of roadtransport interests expressed, according to an official statement, warm appreciation of the declaration of
policy of the main-line railway companies. They undertook to reciprocate, and to do their utmost to co-operate in facilitating the introduction of the licensing provisions of the Act, so as to provide a fair basis of competition between road and rail.