Depot Work After Driving No Offence
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THETHE King's Bench Divisional Court, week, quashed the conviction at Manchester of John Parkinson, driver, and his employer, the Road Haulage Executive, Manchester Parcels Group, of breaches of the Road Traffic Act. It was alleged that Parkinson had driven a goods vehicle for a continuous period of more than 51 hours. The R.H.E. was summoned for permitting the offence. It was contended for the Executive that the time which Parkinson spent at the depot after he had returned with the vehicle should not be reckoned as time spent in driving the vehicle; that he had completed actual driving for the day and was then employed as a porter, this work being unconnected with any vehicle he had been driving during the day. Giving judgment, the Lord Chief Justice (Lord Goddard), with whom were Mr. Justice Hilbery and Mr. Justice Orrnerod, said that the object of the relevant section of the Act was to protect the public against the risk of a driver suffering from excessive fatigue. Another section provided that any time spent by a driver on other work in connection with a vehicle, or the load carried, should be reckoned as time spent in driving. What Parkinson did after he had handed over the vehicle was to act as a porter at the depot-not as a driver. There was no provision in the Act to say that a driver must not do any other work, and in his lordship's view the magistrates were wrong in their decision. The other judges concurred and the appeal was allowed with costs.
BOURNEMOUTH COACH ROUTEING
TO improve the flow of traffic in Bournemouth, new regulations have been made concerning coaches operating on excursions and tours. On setting down passengers at the Glen Fern car park before departing to the King's Park coaching place, and when picking up passengers at Glen Fern, coaches should observe the following routes:— (a) To the parking place and in the direction of Christchurch, via Si Peter's Road, Jarvis Road, St. Swithun's Road, Waverley Road.
(b) In a northerly direction, St. Peter's Road, Jarvis Road, St. Swithun's Road, Waverley Road, St. Paul's Road.