1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144 
Another Back Door
Page 43
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
THE Transport Tribunal's judgment in the appeal of Roy Bowles Transport, Ltd. (reported in last week's issue), must cause concern among professional hauliers for two reasons. First, the Tribunal have ruled that Licensing Authorities, in considering applications for carriers licences, must not ignore goodwill built up through legal carriage of goods by the applicant in unlicensed private vehicles. Indeed, to quote the president's words, whether it be the carriage of goods on a bicycle, in a pram, or by people on their two legs, it can be taken into account to show that there is a need for the extra facilities. That is what Sir Hubert Hull said.
Secondly, the Tribunal appear to have accepted a pattern for entry into the industry which, if followed, will encourage more small bus owners, indeed any owners of private vehicles, to try to take traffic from the licensed haulier.
The appeal concerned unlicensed vehicles the operator, of which, even the objectors conceded, was acting perfectly properly in carrying goods for hire or reward in a small bus. Providing the seats were not removed, it was accepted that the vehicles were passenger vehicles, not constructed or adapted to carry goods. In other words, a carrier's licence is not required if goods are carried in a small bus, so long as the seats are not removed. On the face of it, there is nothing to prevent any one getting into business, particularly parcels, in this way using what are fast becoming commonplace vehicles.
Sir Hubert said during the course of the hearing that the best answer in the world to the question; "How do you know a number of people want you to carry for them?" was: "Because II have been carrying for them." Is that enough evidence, or is it merely opening the notorious "back door " just a little wider, if the door is not already opened to its fullest extent by the inadequacies which are now constantly being exposed in the present licensing laws?