Delivering Driven' Licences to
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Court.
An unusual prosecution was heard at Doncaster, on Monday, when a driver was summoned under the Road Traffic Act, 1934, for failing to deliver his driver's licence to the clerk of the court. The defendant had beep. summoned for exceeding the speed limit with a commercial vehicle, and should either have delivered his licence to the court ,clerk not later than the day before that on which the case was to be heard, or should have appeared at court and submitted it then. lie did neither.
The defendant told the court that he received the summons only two days before the case was due to be heard. The intervening day was a Sunday, and, as be had to be driving a vehicle,
#14 he understood that he had to carry his licence. The case being the first of its kind, the Bench dismissed it on payment of 4s. costs.
Nearly 21 Million Motor Licences.
It is stated by the Minister of Transport that the latest figures available show that the total number of motorvehicle licences current on August 31 was approximately 2,391,000, or about 54 per cent, greater than at the end of May fast.
A Hoge Leyland Fleet.
Crosville Motor Services, Ltd., has just placed an order with Leyland Motors, Ltd., for 52 passenger vehicles. It is interesting to recall that, at the company's recent staff dinner, it was mentioned that more than 1,000 Leyland vehicles had been purchased, and that of its existing fleet of 900 vehicles, the majority is Leyla.nds. INVESTIGATING LONDON ROUTES WITH MOST ACCIDENTS.
In collaboration with Lord Trencharcl, as Chief Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, the Minister of Transport has had prepared diagrams of the four main routes in the metropolitan area on which accidents have been particularly numerous. The' diagrams indicate the accidents recorded during the six months ended September 30 last, where they Occurred, and other relevant information. He sent these maps to the London and Home Counties Traffic Advisory Committee on November 5 with a request that the conditions on these roads should be investigated with a view to the adoption of remedial measures. The matter is being treated as urgent, and the Minister awaits the Committee's recommendations with every confidence that they will be of the greatest value.
Unfair Burden on Licensing Authority? . That applicants frequently do not take the trouble properly to present their cases was the complaint of Mr. A. T. James, ICC., the South Wales Licensing Authority at Swansea. In one case cited by Mr. James, the applicant had made a late request for a, licence and had, on two occasions, failed to appear before the authority.
Mr. James was occupied for a long. time in endeavouring to assist an ap-. plicant in giving the necessary information. Eventually, Mr. James said the applicant was very " difficult " and, moreover, was "impertinent" in return for his efforts to assist him. He would refuse the application and a fresh one would have to be made. As the applicant continued to argue, Mr. James ordered him out of court.
The tendency of recent sittings in South Wales has been to emphasize the folly of operators remaining outside an association which would assist them in obtaining licences.
Carrying Scrap Iron Under Trade
Plates.
Is it lawful to use a general trade licence for a lorry carrying dismantled motorcars? This point was debated in the Grays Court, when Mr. F. A. Stone, local taxation officer, said that a lorry, was loaded with scrap iron, in contravention of the terms under which the trade licence was issued.
The local taxation officer explained that the trade licence could be used in connection with the purchase, sale and repair of motor vehicles. If the holder bought a vehicle, he could use the licence in towing it away. So soon as the vehicle was lifted on to another machine, however, the licence became void.
One of the defendants said that the lorry was carrying dismantled motorcars, and he maintained that his licence entitled him to transport such loads. his business being that of a motor dealer. The Bench, considering that the. cases had not been proved, dismissedthe summonses, with E2 2s.. costs against Essex County Council.
BRITISH VEHICLES ON ORANGE TRANSPORT IN RHODESIA.
When delivering big loads over short distances the tractor and trailer outfit has definite claims to recognition. If several trailers be used, one can be loaded at the depot, while another is travelling and the third is being unloaded. This method is adopted by George Elcorabe, Ltd., of Salisbury, Rhodesia, which uses a Sentinel model S shaft-driven tractor in conjunction with six Tasker trailers, two, of which it hauls on each trip.
Each trailer carries 7i tons of oranges, which are conveyed from the groves to Salisbury railway station. In this way, more than 400 cases of oranges are transported on each trip over 12 miles of earth and gravel roads. The tractor is equipped with Dunlop /ow-pressure tyres and a 380-gallon water tank.
The company owning this outfit is an old-established Salisbury haulage contractor, which also runs a Sentinel DG4T wagon, this being the first cf this model sold in South Africa. number, it was agreed to divide the members into groups of areas in Montgomeryshire and Merionethshire and for meetings to be held, after which representatives from each group will meet to discuss the result.
Hauliers who are interested and are not members of the Association, should communicate with the secretary, Mr.
C. H. Parrish, care of J. Wallace, Williams, Morgan and Co., 51 and 52, Broad Street, Newtown.
We regret to learn that Mr. C. D. Hodgson, sales manager of Charles H. Roe (1923), Ltd., the well-known coachbuilding concern of Crossgates, Leeds, died on November 13. G.W.R. UNBENDING ON BRIDGE QUESTION.
The report of a conference recently held at Warwick to consider the action to be taken regarding privately owned weak bridges shows that the following resolutions were adopted :— . That the Minister of Transport be urged not to make an Order bringing Section 30 of the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933, into force until he has been assured by highway authorities that all essential bridges have been reconstructed or strengthened. That the cost of reconstructing or strengthening private bridges should be provided entirely from the Road Fund and by the bridge owners. That a deputation should wait on the Minister to set clearly before him the magnitude of the problem and the need for increased financial assistance.
Representatives of the Great Western Railway Co., and the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Co., stated at the conference that if the Minister brings. Section 30 into operation, the company's bridges would be restricted to the weights which, as a result of recalculations, they would be capable of carrying.
Yorkshire Association's New Facility.
The Yorkshire Stage Carriage Operators Association has made arrangements to provide hire-purchase facilities for members.
Big Order for Steel Barrel Tanks.
The Steel Barrel Co., Ltd., Uxbridge, has, it was learned on Wednesday, received a large contract for tanks to be mounted on four different makes of chassis, to the order of a national petrol company.