LA 'hesitates' to make Scottish grant
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• A North East firm which sought to switch its base from Gateshead to Glasgow and applied to the LA at Glasgow last week, for an A licence, was stated to have been operating in Scotland for 10 years. The firm, Crow's Transport, had formed a new company earlier this year—Crow's Transport (Scotland) Ltd.
The firm sought the licence to carry a large variety of goods throughout the country and proposed to surrender one B licence in Scotland.
Mr. Alan Hall, assistant company secretary for Crow's, said it had 30 vehicles in the Northern Traffic Area but only two B licences in Scotland. It proposed to surrender two articulated vehicles in the Northern Traffic Area if the application was granted.
Documents were produced and the witness gave details of the firm's accounts and earnings of vehicles. The firm proposed to put two new B-licensed vehicles in Scotland.
Mr. Hall explained the maintenance system of monthly and three-monthly checks which had been introduced this year. A similar system would be used in Glasgow if the application was granted. Meanwhile, maintenance in Glasgow was carried out by a private firm.
It was pointed out that over the past five years the company had four convictions covering excessive smoke, inefficient brakes and insecure loads. The firm had grown over the years and the number of offences had declined steadily. Two GV9s had been issued this year on the B-licensed vehicles in Scotland.
The LA sought information regarding traffic carried in Scotland but he was more concerned about the record of the Scottish vehicles which had been consistently bad. He would like an assurance of some improvements.
Speaking of the offences, an agent for the firm said none of these had been really serious and there had been no accidents. He maintained this was an almost impeccable record bearing in mind the number of vehicles and the huge mileage covered. He noted that the number of convictions over the years had steadily declined and asked the LA not to hold them against the company in respect of the present application which he hoped would be granted without any penalties.
The LA said he was particularly concerned about prohibitions since 1965; there was a bad record and he had to take this into account. He hesitated about making any grants at all to the firm in Scotland.
He decided, however, to grant the A licence but only one B licence and called for the surrender of one existing licence. He would have the current vehicles in Scotland examined in due course and if they were found in good condition he might look with a kindly eye on a new application. Otherwise he would be obliged to take further action. He would allow the firm until Friday morning to name one vehicle which would be taken off.