' How about six?' asks Liverpool haulier
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• The Red House Garage Co. Ltd. did not challenge a traffic examiner's report last week when appearing at a S.177 inquiry, but instead told the North Western LA, Mr. C. Ft. Hodgson, that it did not expect to keep a licence for six of the vehicles in question. The LA's decision was reserved.
Mr. F. A. VVilcocks, a Liverpool-based traffic examiner, said he visited the Liverpool branch of Red House in February 1969 to see records of operation. It was apparent that from early 1963 to December 16 1968 only five out of eight vehicles on a contract A licence and only one out of 12 on a public A licence had been -operated.
Mr. A. R. Cotton, a West Midland traffic examiner, said he had visited the company's Coventry base in March 1969. From December 1968 to February 1969 inclusive, only two out of 13 vehicles employed in north west work had been used, and those for only five days each. Of these vehicles, nine had since been scrapped and one sold.
The manager for Red House at Liverpool, Mr. T. A. McClure, said there had been a decline in the number of vehicles his company was operating in the north west. There were still, however, a regular number of inquiries from potential customers.
The secretary of Red House, Mr. G. Whittaker, said thal over £65,000 had been spent on new haulage vehicles in 44; years. The average earnings of each of the 12 vehicles on the A licence for 1967 was £667 and for 1968 £574. It should have been approximately £3,500 per vehicle.
Mr. D. E. Skelding, representing Red House, said there had already been a 177 inquiry in the West Midland area (CM, June 20) and there was another to be heard in the Metropolitan area. The reason for these inquiries was that Red House was faced with the problem of what business to pursue —road haulage or passenger transport. It was also uneconomic to repair many of the company's vehicles and a certain amount of trouble had been experienced in finding the right type of labour. In respect of the A licence, Mr. Skelding said that five vehicles had been used at some time or other in 1968 and the first four months of 1969. In addition to this, one vehicle had been off the road for repair. He asked the LA to consider the retention of six vehicles.