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While we've been away

Recording some of the road transport events which have occurred since CM was last published, on May 8

New chairman for the R HA

On May 13 Mr William McMillan, director of James Hemphill Ltd, Glasgow, was elected national chairman of the Road Haulage Association.

On the same day Mr John Wells was reelected a vice-chairman of the Association, an office he has held for the past four years. Elected for the first time as a national vicechairman was Mr Ken Hatcher, managing director of Hatcher Brothers Ltd, of London 5E1.

Profitable STG

In its first year, the Scottish Transport Group made consolidated profits of £1.7m on a gross revenue of £33.1m, and after deduction of tax and interest it showed a revenue surplus of £149000. The group, formed under the Transport Act 1968 to bring together Scotland's State-owned bus and shipping services, reported a decline in bus operating profits, which fell by £300.000 from the 1968 level of £2.2m. Staff shortages and unofficial strikes were regarded as contributory factors to this. The report stated that the sophistication of modern buses, with power doors, more extensive heating. larger engines and so on had materially added to operating costs.

New Bedford 4 x 4

On May 15 Vauxhall Motors Ltd introduced a new four-wheel-drive truck, the M type, available in both civil and military versions. For civilian use it has the 330 cu in diesel producing 107 bhp or the 300 cu in petrol engine producing 133 bhp. The gross rating is normally 9.5 tons for the civil chassis and 9.3 tons for the military, though with suitable tyres the rating can be 11 tons gross.

I RTE 's forward-looking jubilee

On May 18 the Institute of Road Transport Engineers celebrated its 25th anniversary with a jubilee luncheon in London at which Lord Stokes was guest of honour. Over 300 people attended, including representatives from the Institute's 30 regional centres and guests from all major bodies associated with its work.

Lord Stokes urged engineers to broaden their experience by shaking off shackles which confined them to the workshop role and gave too little scope to their planning and administrative abilities. Modern management methods must be absorbed as well as engineering techniques.

He thought that automatic transmission would become a "must" and was optimistic about the prospects for the turbine at 300 bhp and upwards. He emphasized that safety and environment were becoming major issues but warned that the public must squarely face the fact that they could not have improved transport and amenity without

At the IRTE 25th anniversary luncheon on May 18, left to right: Lord Stokes, Mr G. E. Liardet and Sir Reginald Wilson. Sir Reginald praised the engineers for their achievements but wondered whether the proposal to get rid of the word "road" from their title was not rather like kicking away the ladder by which they came up. He felt there was plenty of future for men connected with road transport engineering.

paying for it, and all the loud voices of the "anti" societies should be made to realize this.

The president. Mr G. E. Liardet, presented Lord Stokes with an official scroll naming him a Fellow of the Institute. He also presented small gifts to the five founder-members present —Mr G. Mackenzie Junner, Mr S. E. Pepler, Mr C. Downs, Mr L. D. Andrews and Mr F. J. Davenport. Mr Liardet revealed that the IRTE was forming a Jubilee Education Trust to direct and support research into transport engineering and management disciplines.

Mr Junner. founder and first chairman of the Institute (at a time when he was editor of CM), told how vehicle manufacturers had helped him in his efforts to overcome considerable resistance to the setting up of the Institute 26 years ago.

Ready Mixed buys Pointer

Pointer Group Holdings agreed, in the week ending May 15, to a £1.6m bid from Ready Mixed Concrete Ltd, the national group which employs more than 1.000 owner-drivers. The Pointer Group, headquartered at Norwich, runs 350 haulage vehicles and includes storage and distribution activities. Cash and stock were offered as considerations for the purchase.

BRS pay offer accepted

A management offer of an extra £1 a week and consolidation of an additional £2 bonus was accepted on May 21 by union representatives of 22,000 drivers and operatives employed by British Road Services and its subsidiaries. This brings basic rates to between £17 15s and £20 10s for 40 hours as against a claim for a basic £30 weekly. The drivers work a guaranteed 45-hour week which under the new rates spells £21 1s 7d to £24 6s 11d. All grades are to have bonus opportunities of up to £4 10s for a 45-hour week, The offer became effective from May 18.

More concessions

Amending regulations which came into effect on May 12 allow drivers of passenger vehicles in the employ of the blood transfusion service an extension of the permitted working day to 14 hours twice a week for carrying physically or mentally handicapped people to or from social and recreational centres, provided the driver has rest periods amounting to at least four hours during that working day. This amendment is set out in the Drivers' Hours (Passenger Vehicles) (Exemptions) (Amendment) Regulations 1970.

Higher NCL staff pay

White-collar grades of National Carriers Ltd staff—clerical, supervisory, professional and technical—were awarded an increase of around 11 per cent in pay last month. The rises took effect from May 25 and were accompanied by a 10 per cent increase plus consolidation of a 10s bonus for operating grades.

New Institute president

Last month the Institute of Transport elected a new president, who will take office in October and deliver his presidential address on October 12, He is Mr J. R. Stainton, deputy managing director of BOAC.

Training grant changes

The Road Transport Industry Training Board has submitted the following changes to the training grant proposals recently recommended to Mrs Barbara Castle: Management training (management develop ment within a scheme approved by the Board): £100 for the first year of the development programme; £40 for each of two subsequent years.

Training staff: For a full-time instructor employed at an employer's off-the-job training centre £800 will be allowed, instead of £250 the normal instructor rate.

Perkins expansion

On May 22 the Perkins Engines Group announced plans to spend over £20m on expansion at Peterborough for production of diesel engines. The company estimates that its current production of 260,000 engines a year will grow to 330,000 by 1973 and that the largest part of the increase will be devoted to the 4.236, the 6.354 and the V8.510, of which an uprated version will be introduced.

Cory distribution

On May 18 Wm. Cory and Son Ltd announced the setting up of Cory Distribution Services, a nationwide computer-aided service for the collection, distribution and delivery of goods. The spring of 1971 is the target date for complete coverage of the UK mainland. In addition, Cory is building eight purposedesigned distribution centres in South London, North London, South Yorkshire, Glasgow, South Wales, Launceston, in the Tyne-Tees area and on Merseyside and will be offering packaging, shrink-wrapping, labelling, stock records, invoicing, sales accounting and sales analysis facilities.

Ulster hgv

The Northern Ireland Ministry of Home Affairs announced on May 20 that regulations providing for the licensing and testing of heavy goods vehicle drivers would come into operation this year. From June 2 until August 31 there will be a voluntary period during which drivers may take the test but after August 31 it will be an offence to drive or employ someone to drive a heavy goods vehicle unless the driver holds the appropriate licence. In general the scheme will be in line with the British hgv scheme.

Laird changes

Leyland Motors (Scotland) Ltd announced on May 19 that the Laird range of four-wheel rigid trucks had been extended and revised, largely for export markets. The full range is now:

LR 950 9.5-ton gvw available in 111in., 131in., 151 in,, 171in. and 201 in. wheelbases. LA 1000 10-ton gvw available in 151in., 171in.

and 201 in. wheelbases.

LR 1160 11.6-ton gvw available in 151in., 171in. and 201in. wheelbases.

LA 1200 12-ton gvw available in 11 tin.. 131in .

151 in.. 171in. and 201in. wheelbases LA 1300 13-ton ovw available in 111in . 131in

151in., 171in. and 201in. wheelbases.

Plain-clothes checkers

Hull transport committee decided on May 15 to introduce plain-clothes ticket checkers on its o-m-o services in an effort to combat large-scale fare dodging. Transport committee chairman Aid Hargreaves said that the Corporation would not hesitate to prosecute in blatant cases of fare bilking.

New training group

The Norfolk and Norwich Group Training Association, inaugurated in May, is said to be the largest of its type in the country and comprises 37 road haulage firms. Training facilities for all groups of haulage employees will be provided. The group chairman is Mr Kevin Fitzmaurice.

'Political interference'

One of the easiest ways for the public to be kept informed about decisions, in a situation where public accountability was increasingly difficult to maintain, was for governments to resist the temptation to own and operate, said Mr Michael Heseltine on May 20. The Opposition Front Bench spokesman on transport was speaking at the 1970 Congress dinner of the Institute of Transport. Where governments did own and operate, then the emphasis should be on regulation and licence and there should be a clear divide over which the politicians stepped in public and not in private, he suggested. The growing difficulty in separating the political decisions from the economic, and the management decisions from the social, represented dangers in the future trends of society, he said. Where the State was the provider of transport services then the widest reliance should be placed on semi-independent national bodies under publicly identifiable men of substance able both to keep the political interferences before the public eye and to extract "political cheques" for political instructions.

Motorway link

The link between M5 and M6 motorways was opened last month, providing 171 miles of continuous motorway between Strensham in Gloucestershire and Carnforth in Lancashire.

Cutting dock delays

The Liverpool Ship Owners Association and Mersey Docks and Harbour Board have introduced a "dial-a-date" system by which appointments for vehicles with loads for Liverpool docks can be booked in advance. This means of cutting turn-round time is additional to the Freefone system operated by the Dock Board's information centre.

Agreement with Rumania

Under a bilateral agreement which came into effect on June 1, British operators of goods vehicles will not meet to obtain permits from the Rumanian authorities to travel to, through or from, Rumania. Permits will, however, still be required for the carriage of goods between Rumania and a third country, and cabotage will be prohibited. Reciprocal arrangements will apply to Rumanian vehicles visiting Britain.

Ten Lorry Driver of the Year eliminating rounds have been held over the past three weekends. Class winners who will go forward

LDoY eliminating rounds

to the National Finals are as follow: TORBAY (May10)

Class A: H Cochrane (National Carriers Ltd) BMC. 100 points. B: Ft. C. Snow (Texaco Ltd) Bedford, 74. C: H. L Easton (NM Dockyard Devonport) AEC. 89. D: J. Chapman (W. F. Miners and Sons Ltd) Guy, 100. E: no entries. F: no entries. G R. Hobbs IBartlett and Bateman) Bedford, 158. H; P. Webber (Shell-Mex and BP Ltd) AEC. 101.

S. WALES (May 10) Class A: T. Westcott (Girling Ltd) Commer, 164 points. B: D. M. Maddocks (BRS Parcels Ltd) Austin, 89. C: D. Morgan (BRS Ltd) Albion, 159.

D: D. M. Goddard (Conoco Ltd) AEC, 79. E: D. J. M. Morgan (BRS Parcels Ltd) Bedford, 102. F: R. Baker (National Carriers Ltd) Bedford, 134. G Col Moss {School of Mech. Trans., RAF} AEC, 42.

H: W. Davies (Hoover Ltdl AEC 78.

LIVERPOOL (May 10) Class A: A. C. Kendrick (Paraffin Distributing Co Ltd) BMC. 29 points. B: A. E. Jones (Post Office Corp.) Commer, 61. C: R. Fowles (Liverpool Corp. City Engineer's Dept.) S and D. 44. D: J. Dickens (Shell-Mex and BP Ltd) BLMC. 88. E: J. S. Fleming INational Carriers Ltd) Bedford, 91. F: M. Rowden (Shell-Mex and BP Ltd) Bedford. 98. G; J. J. Nicholls (Arthur Hughes and Sons (Haulage) Ltd) Bedford. 148. H: J. J. Thompson (Conoco Ltd) Seddon, 83.

WOLVERHAMPTON (May 10) Class A: A. Fayce (Wolverhampton Express and Star) Ford, 253 points. B: 0. Lee (borough engineer of Shrewsbury Highway Board) Bedford, 125 C: C. Bartlett (Wednesbury Tube Co Ltd) Ford, 132. 0: W. Hirons (Bradley and Co Ltd) Bedford, 69.

E: A. Fletcher {Midland Counties Dairies Ltd) Bedford, 109. F: no entries. G: F. Gittins (National Carriers Ltd) Seddon. 121. H: S. H. Whitton (Total Oil (GB) Ltd} AEC, 196.

BIRMINGHAM (May 171 Class A: T. W. Phillips (Hawleys Bakeries Ltd) Bedford. 100 points. B: C. Beardmore {W. Allport and Son Ltd) Austin. 110. C: N. Chaloner Allport and Son Ltd) Dodge. 86. D: D. Johnson (Shell-Mex and BP Ltd) AEC, 121. E: R. A. Morris

(Midland Counties Dairies Ltd) Bedford. 129.

F: B. Earlam (National Carriers Ltd) Ford, 148.

G: R. V. Bennison (Mitchells and Butlers Ltd) Scammell, 93. H: J. F. Gleiwitz {The Distillers Co Ltd) AEC, 124.

RUISLIP (May17) Class A: R. Pullinger (Sunny Bank Sand) Ford, 40 points, B: T. D. Phillips (Cadbury-Schweppesl Bedford, 80. C: J. Bateman IRank Xerox) Ford. 109. C: G. F. Cosgrove (Dimplex) Ford, 142 E: W. Rhodes (Cisme Plastics) Ford. 108. F: K. Wells (Harvey Bradfield and Toyerl Bedford. 93. G: K. Clutterbuck lOsma Plastics) Ford, 99. H: J. Cousins (Harvey Bradfield and Toyer) Bedford, 75.

YORK (May 17) Class A: V. Maker (Garrison Transport Unit) Bedford, 135 points. B: B. Atkinson (M. D. Knowlson and Son) Albion, 98. C: G. Baker (owner-driver, Tadcaster) Commer, 68. D: J. Wilkinson (Texaco Ltd) Atkinson. 65. E: N. C. Harrison (National Carriers Ltd) Karrier, 92. F: R. Mason (Continental Oil Co Ltd) Dodge. 111. G: R. S. Jackson (Freightliners Ltd) Guy. 154. H: W. White (Continental Oil Co Ltd) AEC. 113.

BRISTOL (May 17)

Class A: C. Derrick IPremier Transport) BMC, 151 points. B: P. E. Diment (BAS Parcels Ltd) BMC, 109. C: M. G. Owen (Min. Pub. Bldg. and Works) BMC, 81. D; F. G. Davies IShell-Mex and BP Ltd) AEC, 91. E: no entries. F: A. J. Biggs (National Carriers Ltd) Ford. 128. G; F. Scott (BRS Ltd} AEC, 94. H: A. Shorland (National Carriers Ltd) Ford, 103.

GLASGOW (May 17) Class A: V. Cannon (Tate and Lyle Ltd) Albion, 266 points. B: D. Blackbourn (British Oxygen Co Ltd) Austin, 136. C: F. Beetham (British Oxygen Co Ltd) Albion, 87. D: S. H. Taylor (Shell and BP Scotland Ltd) AEC. 104. E: D. Solari (Freightliners Ltd) Bedford. 96. F: S. McLaughlan IShell and BP Scotland Ltd) Bedford, 150. G: G. Weir )Tennent Caledonian Breweries Ltd) Bedford, 72. H: G. Hudson (British Oxygen Co Ltd) Atkinson, 61.

NORWICH (May 241 Class A: S. Green (Initial Services Ltd) BMC, 125 points. B: V. Martin (John Youngs Ltd) Ford, 200.

C: H. Durrant (Travis and Arnold Ltd) Bedford, 150.

D: W. Rye (Shell-Mex and BP Ltd) AEC, 293.

E: A. Clarke (National Carriers Ltd) Ford, 114. F: no entries. G: L Calver IL and M Calver and Daughters) AEC, 168. H: D. Trigg (Pointer Group Transport) Leyland, 138.