60 Lorries "Out of Work ": Contracts Cancelled
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MANY hauliers, particularly operators of one or two vehicles, will have to face loss of livelihood at the end of the month in the North Midlands if alternative traffic is not obtained in the meantime. This will be the result of the special notice in last week's issue of Applications and Decisions of the Yorkshire Traffic Area, which reads:—
" The Licensing Authority gives notice that the vehicles specified in all A Contract Licences issued in respect of contracts entered into by the British Anthracite Co., Ltd., and signed by a duly authorized person (whom it has since transpired was not so authorized) for the carriage of coal and coke. bricks and/or general merchandise and the goods of the alleged subsidiary companies, Smith Parkinson and Cole. Ltd., and Geo. M. Marsden (Stockport), Ltd., cease to be authorized vehicles under the provisions of Section 7(1) of the Road and Rail Traffic Act, 1933, inasmuch as the contracts between the above-mentioned firms and the hauliers in question have been terminated."
Since the traffic was put out to tender in 1955 over 60 vehicles have been operating under contract in the traffic areas of Yorkshire, East and West Midlands. Many operators were newcomers using old vehicles at first for the cartage of coal from pit to power station. Later they were able to replace them with new lorries.
Two typical examples were given to The Commercial Motor by Mr. S. J. Clark, of Clark Transport, Selston, Notts, and Mr. W. Whitehead, of Kirkby-in-Aslafield. Mr. Clark has recently acquired two Thames 4D vehicles for " this work, whilst Mr. Whitehead operates a B.M.C. 7-tonner.
Both have now been informed that their contracts will terminate at the end of the month. For many operators in their position it had come as a bolt from the blue, they said, and for those who were acquiring their vehicles under rental or hire-purchase schemes the position was particularly precarious.
In some quarters it was suggested that the general shortage of traffic, partly resulting from fuel rationing, might have had some bearing on this change in policy, established hauliers now offering open A-licence vehicles for traffic formerly left to newcomers.
Operators who, during the past year, took up contracts with British Anthracite in Yorkshire included Messrs. B. W. Collis, Clapweil, near Chesterfield (one vehicle), P. M. Smith and Partner, Ltd., Chesterfield (two vehicles), and Messrs. A. and H. Taylor, Darnall (one vehicle).