76% of Vehicle Units in List 6 Sold : List 7 Mostly Small Lots
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le" EEN bidding for vehicle-only units in list 6 has resulted in the sale of 76 per cent. of the units and 70 per cent. of the vehicles, excluding contract-hire units. When these figures were released on Wednesday, the cases of 51 units were still undecided.
Good results are expected also from list 7, which was published on Wednesday. It contains 874 units—nearly all small—and 2,539 vehicles, and is the largest so far issued. It brings to 15,460 the number of vehicles offered since disposal began.
The next lists will be R4, to be published in September, and 8, to be issued in October.
First of Five Fare Applications Heard
THE first of a number of applications to the East Midland Licensing Authority for fare increases by five major operators in the area was heard in Nottingham on Tuesday.
Decision on the application—by Bart on Transport Ltd.—was reserved until after the others have been heard. Barton Transport are setting to increase ordinary single fares between 11d. and 61d. by id.
For the applicants, Mr. L. W. A. White said that the proposed higher fares would raise revenue by £25,000 a year, which was exactly the cost of recent wage increases.
Mr. White said that 60 per cent. of the company's services were unrcmunerative. "In terms of mileage, 63 per cent. is in fact• run on routes where receipts are less than costs. We don't claim a medal for that," he said, "hut it would pay the company as a purely commercial undertaking to concentrate on a small number of routes."
Saying that the company desired to keep increases to a minimum, Mr. White said they were gambling on two things: the return of buoyance to stage services and a reduction in fuel tax in the next Budget. If these hopes were not realized they would have to apply again.
He added that the return on the company's capital had fallen by more than half between 1949 and 1953.
24cl. MINIMUM REFUSED TO MAIDSTONE COMPANY
T"South-Eastern Licensing
Authority has refused to grant Maidstone and District Motor Services, Ltd., a 21d. minimum fare (see opposite page). The Authority did not feel that tome of the fares resulting from the proposals were reasonable. A 21d. ninimum would mean 4d. a mile in ;ome cases. He also rejected the protosed 10 per cent. increase in adult .eason ticket rates.
Permission was given for a 10 per .ent. advance in season ticket rates for ihildren and scholars and in workmen's veekly tickets, and for higher fares to le charged in the Isle of Sheppey. The bolition of early morning returns was lso authorized. list 6 contained 505 vehicle-only units (1,334 vehicles). Only 31 lots were offered with premises, for which tenders did not close until Wednesday.
A joint statement by the British Transport Commission and Road Haulage Disposal Board said that list 6 had " fully maintained the satisfactory results of list 5. There was again keen tendering for most units and there were many tenders which would have been acceptablehad they been the highest."
Among the 473 general haulage units (1,216 vehicles), the highest tender was accepted for 363 units (855 vehicles) and all offers were rejected for 47 units (164 vehicles). No bids were received for 15 units (54 vehicles) and 48 cases (143 vehicles) were outstanding.
Tenders were accepted for 21 contract-hire units (31 vehicles), out of a total of 32 (118). Four units (28 vehicles) were withdrawn and four (17 vehicles) failed to attract bids. Three cases (42 vehicles) were undecided: .
Only 28 with Premises There are only 28 " property " units in list 7. The remaining 846 are vehicleonly lots, and 829 are of one to five vehicles. The units were fairly evenly divided between those which have been offered before, either in the same or in different form, and those which are new.
The list includes 46 furniture vans, mostly offered in single-vehicle units; nine tankers and 25 heavy haulage outfits, all put up individually; and 39 contract-hire vehicles in 12 units. Tenders close on September 8 or, where premises are involved, on September 22.
The distribution Of units by divisions is as follows: South-eastern, 96: Scottish, 100; North-western, 111: North-eastern. 142; Midland. 127: South-western, 84: Western, 59; Eastern, 17; and Special Traffics, 78.
Lists R4 and S wilt consist almost entirely of re-offered vehicles and will include as many as possible of the vehicles in lists 1-7 still remaining unsold in the autumn.
EXAMINATION OF B.T.C.
THE British Transport Commission will be one of seven nationalized industries which the Select Committee on Nationalized Industries is to he established to examine, it was announced in the House of Commons on Tuesday.
B.T.C. Chairman to Open Biggest Show
THIS year's Commercial Motor Show, the biggest ever held, will be opened on September 24 by Sir Brian H. Robertson, chairman of the British Transport Commission. There will be some 440 exhibitors, including 38 vehicle makers. The makes of chassis to be shown will be:—
MINISTRY TO PROTECT RETURNING HAULIERS WHEN a Stratford on Avon haul
' age company appeared before the local magistrates on 24 summonses of failing to comply with the conditions of their A licences, and eight summonses for using a goods vehicle for hire or reward without authorization, Mr. T. A. Matthews, prosecuting, said the Ministry of Transport would prosecute in all cases of a similar nature until the dissolution of the 25-mile limit.
He said it would be grossly unfair to -hauliers whose businesses had been nationalized if they were faced on denationalization with competition from concerns who had obtained their traffic illegally.
The defendants, Radbourne Bros., Ltd., were fined £80, with advocate's fees of £10 10s. and costsof £1 3s.–
WAITING BAN: OPERATORS SEE MR. MOLSON
THE case against restrictions on load' ing and unloading goods vehicles in central London was presented to Mr. Hugh Molson, Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, on Tuesday, by a deputation from the Metropolitan Liaison Committee of the Traders' Road Transport Association, Road Haulage Association and Passenger Vehicle Operators' Association. A representative of Westminster Chamber of Commerce was also present.
A NEW MINISTER?
FOLLOWING the resignation of Mr. Oliver Lyttelton, Mr. A. T. LennoxBoyd, Minister of Transport, will succeed him as Secretary of State for the Colonies, the Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday.
The paper's political correspondent stated that Mr. Henry Brooke, M.P. for Hampstead and Conservative leader on the London County Council, was considered a likely choice as Minister of Transport. Mr. Brooke is 51.