Odd Woman Out
Page 30
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DUYERS of transport units should take warn ing from the case, reported in The Commercial Motor last week, in which a woman who applied for a special A licence was prosecuted for giving false information. Her offence was in giving an accommodation address in a town from which she wished to operate, because at the time she had no premises there.
Anyone who purchases a vehicle from British Road Services with the avowed intention of setting up a business in a town other than his home base, may find himself in similar difficulty unless he acquires the new premises before he applies for the licence. As the application has to be made before the vehicle is delivered, the situation is awkward.
Technically, any dealer who buys a group of lorries for the purpose of resale is committing an offence if he gives his own address as his base, for he knows full well, when he applies for A. special A licence, that he has no intention of operating them from that or any other place. He is therefore liable to prosecution, although the Licensing Authorities apparently realize the difficulty which the law has created and are turning a blind eye to the many unavoidable breaches that are occurring.
In the circumstances, it seems hard that one small operator, who had not yet had an opportunity of carrying out her intention, should be fined. It is to be hoped that this prosecution does not mark the beginning of a campaign against technical offenders, but is meant merely to emphasize the need for accuracy in applying for special A licences and for obtaining advice from the Licensing Authority in all cases where there is any possible doubt.