False Entries Inferred : C. Bristow Lose Appeal
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1N revoking licences for vehicles operated by C. Bristow, Ltd., Solebay Street, London, E.3, the Metropolitan Licensing Authority had drawn the inference that false entries on applications had been filled in after they had reached his office. Mr. Victor Durand, Q.C., made this observation to the Transport Tribunal in London, last week, when the company appealed against the revocation of licences covering 47 vehicles.
Late on Monday the Tribunal announced their decision to dismiss the appeal, and stated that their reasons would be issued in writing later.
New B.M.C. Light Models in 1960
A N additional range of light commer
cial vehicles is expected to be announced in January by the British Motor Corporation, Sir Leonard Lord, chairman, says in his annual statement issued on Monday.
New facilities established for the production of Austin Seven and Morris Mini-Minor cars provide for a maximum output of 4,000 units a week, but this figure is to be doubled. The extended plant will produce the new range of light commercial vehicles.
Last year 486,048 vehicles were produced, and the present rate of output is 750,000 a year. Within two years an output of 1m. units a year will be within the Corporation's reach, Sir Leonard adds. In the past five years, the Corporation have spent £39m. on production expansion, and by 1962 another £49m. will have been spent.
Including light and heavy commercial vehicles, home registrations of B.M.C. vehicles last year totalled 302,398 units. More than 40 per cent, of all B.M.C. vehicles were exported.
DRASTIC TRAFFIC BANS IN LONDON
FOR 12 hours each day, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., no coaches will be allowed to enter certain central areas of London. This ban will operate from next Monday until December 31, and has been imposed by the Metropolitan Police.
The areas affected will be bounded by Oxford Street (between Oxford Circus and Marble Arch), Marble Arch, Park Lane, Hyde Park Corner, Piccadilly (between Hyde Park Corner and Piccadilly Circus) and Regent Street (between Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus).
A Ministry of Transport ban on loading and unloading on certain stretches of road in the West End is expected to come into force on Monday. It will. operate between 1 p.m. and 6.30 p.m., will supersede any existing bans, and will include such places as Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, St. Giles Circus and the Tottenham Court Road-Euston Road junction.
Vehicles will also be prevented from loading and unloading within 100 ft. of traffic lights on all major roads throughout the area.
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The effect of the false entries was that
48 unauthorized excess tons had been on the road for nearly four years, said Mr. Durand. The Authority had found that six licences contained 16 or 17 " tainted" vehicles. The licences had been revoked although they covered a total of 47 vehicles, he added.
It seemed to introduce "an undesirable element of luck " in the administration of justice when the other vehicles were concerned merely because they were detailed on a certain piece of paper, added Mr. Durand.
The Authority had inferred that the application forms sent in by Bristow in respect of certain vehicles had blank spaces against the unladen-weight section when they reached his office.
Counsel contended that Bristow should not be punished or held responsible for the subsequent entry of false weights by somebody in the Authority's office.
Sir Hubert Hull, president, pointed out that incomplete forms often arrived in the office. It was, no doubt, true that the clerk ought to send them back, but, in fact, often telephoned to ask what should be inserted.
The Authority, giving his decision, had said that in one case where " 1 ton 5 cwt." was entered the true• weight of the vehicle was 4 tons 17 cwt. He had suspected that the person who made the entry was in league with Bristow.
Mr. Durand told the Tribunal that unless there was strong evidence that the man who wrote in the weights had an agreement with Bristow it was wrong to infer a criminal agency.
The first news of the decision was given to Mr. Harry Davis, director and secretary of the company, by The Commercial Motor on Tuesday morning.
"You have caught me on one leg,' said Mr. Davis. "We had expected the appeal to be upheld, but we have not yet been advised officially of the Tribunal's decision."
Asked about the future of the business. Mr. Davis replied: "We have plenty of licences in other areas and hope to continue."
£206,000 ORDERS FOR REIVERS
QRDERS to the value of more than £206,000 were received by Albion Motors, Ltd., for their Reiver goods vehicles during the Scottish Motor Show. This total represented about 55 per cent. of orders received by the company during the show period.