"A" Vehicle Suspended for Three Months
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AN A-licence vehicle operated by I-1 David A. Lawson (Thrums), Ltd., was suspended for three months, last week, by the Scottish Deputy Licensing Authority, Mr. Alex Robertson. Last !•ear, one of the company's C-licence vehicles was suspended, after irregular operation, and at last week's hearing in Aberdeen, Mr. Robertson heard that two vehicles on an A licence restricted to "livestock in Forfar and district" had been making journeys to England.
The British Transport Commission objected to Lawson's application for an extended normal user—" agricultural produce and requisites within the counties of Angus, Perth and Kincardine, and fruit, potatoes and agricultural machinery to Lancashire, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Glasgow and Leith, with return loads of lime, fertilizers, feeding stuffs and fruit casks."
For the company, Mr. A. Whitehead produced worksheets showing that for at least two years the vehicles had been operated outside their declared normal user. He said he had to shoulder some of the blame for this himself, as he had only recently heard of the Transport Tribunal's decision in the Knight case, or he would have advised Lawson's to put their house in order before the licence came up for renewal.
The company had acted in good faith, he added, thinking that they were entitled to run the vehicles all over the country with an A licence. When the licence was acquired from another operator the question of the normal user had not been fully understood.
Fruit growers, potato merchants and agricultural engineers supported the application. Witnesses stated that Lawson's service was unequalled, and severe inconvenience would he suffered if the vehicles were withdrawn.
Giving his decision, Mr. Robertson said the company had made out a case, so their application for an amended normal user would be granted.' However, he had to take into account their illegal activities, so one vehicle would be suspended for three months from February 8.