OPINIONS and• QUERIES
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Railways and Road Competition.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
135521 Sir,—Flaiing read an account of what passed between the Minister of Transport and the managers of the four railway companies at their recent conference, I would like to say a few words about the paragraph, road users should pay full road cost.
The Royal Commission on Transport having stated the total annual cost of the highways to be £60,000,000, of which the motorist finds £20,000,000 and the ratepayers £40,000,000, it was urgedby the general managers that road users should pay the whole cost, but I would like to point out the absurdity of this statement.
If road users bore the whole cost of the roads, it would be quite natural for them to regard the roads in the same light as the railways regard their permanent way, namely, as private property. Them vie should have the spectacle of the man in the street being fined for trespassing; the public highway would be public no longer; also if the highways became private, a great benefit would be conferred on road users, Since such tiresome regulations as speed limits would have no power whatever, and the Traffic Commissioners would have to be abolished, to the detriment of the railway companies.
I cannot see why the respective general managers wish to relieve the ratepayer of his burden, since he is the greatest user of the highways and would fare badly if the roads became private, as the railways wish them to become. Further, the railway companies are great road users and would penalize themselves by insisting on heavier taxation.
I do not agree that the heavy motor vehicle is subsidized by the light vehicle and private ear, especially as the petrol tax provides so large a part of the total taxation. I notice that the general managers are very pleased with the way in which the Traffic Commissioners are curtailing the number of passengervehicle services.
Finally, when it is considered that the road-transport vehicle pays heavily for the road it runs on and for the fuel which drives It, I see nothing grosSly unfair in road competition. It is evident, however, that it is too strong for the British railway companies, the directors of which no doubt long for their pre-war monopoly with its total lack of enterprise.
Derby. A STUDENT OF ECONOMICS.
How the Road User Twice Pays Income Tax.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3658] Sir,—Perhaps it seems unpatriotic in these days to point out anything that would interfere with the payment of income tax, but right is right, and no section Of the community should surely pay twice over by compulsion—especially a commercial section—but is it not a fact that the commercial-motor user is paying twice in the case of part of his tax on his vehicles and fuel?
It is known that part of the proceeds of these taxes has been appropriated for purposes of general expenditure, and as the money to pay for them is often first taxed as income, should not a greater amount be deducted in computing profits for the year to allow for the above facts? It is time that the lawyer and actuary tested the legality of the
double Income tax. SYNARTHROSIS. Leamington Spa.
Haulage at St. Austell.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL 1■10TOR.
[36541 have been a reader of The Commer cial 21lotor and greatly interested in it for more years than I care to think about.
Two recent letters anent clay haulage in the St. Austell area especially interested me. The letter from "Buy British" was, in the main, right. I have no hesitation in saying, and I am sure other merchants who pride themselves on their business acumen and associations will heartily endorse my remarks, that "The Heavy Transport Co., Ltd."—under the able and progressive management of Mr. C. G. L. Hodgson, has done much to improve haulage conditions, both for the merchant and for the haulier.
Those business men who entrust their haulage work to the concern in question receive their rewards in efficiency, economy, and reliability. If other hauliers be observant they may attain similar standards.
With regard to the local association of small hauliers, their secretary has done a great deal in keeping them together, a task not greatly appreciated, but nevertheless an exceedingly difficult one. It is obvious, however, that to play off one haulier against• another for the sake of a few pence reduction in rate, • and failing to take into consideration the service an efficient haulier gives (which is often worth much more than the few pence gained by the merchant), is ultimately and definitely leading to a state of chaos! There is an economic level in all things, below which efficiency cannot be maintained. Why, Therefore, neutralize, or even minimize, the tremendous results which have obtained here since the introduction of a really capable transport manager? MERCHANT. St. Austell.
A 1-tonner on Milk Haulage.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3655] Sir,—We have been regular readers of The Commercial Motor for the past 18 months, and would be very grateful if you could help us with the following problem :—We propose to purchase a 1-ton lorry for work connected with our, business, the approximate weeklY mileage involved being '150. In addition to this, we have the opportunity to haul 50 gallons of milk
per day for seven days weekly, a total distance of 20 miles, involving, of course, another, roughly, 150 miles per week. That means our entire mileage will be in the region of 300 weekly for purposes of computing our standing charges.
The query is, what price per gallon should we charge for hauling?
We mention the mileage for our own business hauling, as, of course,we appreciate that the larger the total mileage of the vehicles the smaller are the standing charges per mile.
We should also be grateful if you would enclose your Tables of Operating Costs. Mn. Evesham.
[A copy of the Tables of Operating Costs has been sent to you. I refer you to Table I. You will note that the cost of operation of a 1-tonner is approximately 6d. per mile, if allowance be made for increases in the price of petrol which have taken place since the Tables were compiled.
The milk-haulage contract, if it is to be run on a proper basis, as should be done by a haulage contractor, should bring in a return of 11d, per mile. That means you must charge 18.s. 4d. for each 20-mile journey. The charge per gallon, therefore, must be 2d.—S.T.R.1 Working Hours on Goods Vehicles.
The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR.
[3658] Sir,—As regular subscribers to your journal, we wondered if you could give us some information in relation to drivers' hours ; we have several pamphlets on the matter, but the wording appears to us confusing. The circumstances are as follow :
Our drivers commence at 8 a.m. and usually finish at between 7 p.m. and 8.30 p.m. At 10 a.m. they have half an hour for a meal, whilst during their working day a considerable part of the time is spent in waiting to have their vans loaded.
Are we to take it that they are not to work or drive for more than 12 hours daily, from which must be deducted two periods of 20 minutes each at the end of each 5/, hours? That is to say, as they commence at 8 a.m., should they finish work at 8 p.m., after having had two 20-minute rests for meals during this period of 12 hours? HOURS. London, S.W.9.
[It is evident that you have not fully understood the provisions of Section 19 of the Road Traffic Act, with which we dealt at some length in our issue of May 5th, 1931. The main provisions, so far as they affect drivers of motor vehicles other than public-service vehicles, are that a driver may not drive a goods vehicle for any continuous period of more than 54 hours, or for continuous periods amounting. in the aggregate, to more than 11 hours in any period of 24 hours commencing two hours after midnight. Iu addition, a driver must have not less than 10 consecutive hours for rest in any period of 24 hours calculated from the commencement of any period of driving.
For example, a driver who commences at 8 a.m. may continue to drive until 1.30 p.m., but must then be off duty until 2 p.m., when he may commence again and proceed to drive until 7.30 p.m., when he must cease work for the day.
The section provides that any two periods of time are to be treated as one continuous period unless separated by an interval of not less than half an hour, in which the driver is able to obtain rest and refreshment. It also provides that any time spent by the driver on other work in connection with the vehicle or the load carried thereby shall be reckoned as time spent in driving.—En.1
Non-fare-paying Passengers Carried on Goods Vehicles.
The Editor, THE COMMERCL4L MOTOR.
[3657] Sir,—Our position somewhat resembles that of Messrs. M. Mack, of Manchester, to whose query you replied in your issue dated September 29th.
In some cases, however, we c/o not pay as much tax on the unladen weight as we should have to if we paid on the h.p. rate. Does this alter the position?
B8 We are arranging to place a notice framed in the following terms in the driver's cab of each of our motor vehicles ;— " We do not hold ourselves responsible for loss or injury to passengers carried in the course of trade. No other passengers are allowed." Would a notice such as this cover our liability in tire matter?
We are constantly using your Tables of Operating Costs and find the information therein remarkably
accurate. PASERE. London, W.C.1.
[The question raised as to the conveyance of non-fare-paying passengers carried on goods vehicles is one which is not entirely free from doubt, but SO long RS the persons are carried as part of the load and not as passengers it appears that the fact that the tax which you pay on the unladen weight is less than the tax which would be payable on the horse-power basis does not alter the position. Paragraph 5 of the Second Schedule to the Finance 'Act, 1920, as amended by the Finance •Act, 1928, which deals with goods vehicles, applies to all vehicles which are constructed or adapted for the conveyance of goods, and which are used for the conveyance of goods or burden of any description, whether in the course of trade or otherwise. It appears to us that where passengers are carried in connection with the goods which make up the load, those passengers can be regarded as part of the "burden," and that no additional tax is payable.
With regard, to tha notice to passengers, the point to remember is that. if an action were brought against yew by a passenger who was injured, it would be necessary for you to satisfy the court that the notice had been brought to the attention of the passenger, either directly or by it being placed in such a position that the passenger must be assumed to have seen it when he entered the vehicle. We see no objection to the wording you propose using. but would suggest the following alternative :—" Persons are carried on this vehicle only at their own risk." IL appears to us that the use of the word " passenger " might make the police think that the persons carried must be fare-paying passengers, and thus lead to unnecessary inquiries.—ED.]
Insurance for Hirer-drivers.
The Editor, THE CO3IMERCIAL MOTOR.
[36581 Sir,—It might interest you to know that the writer is one of the pioneers of the motor industry and was a driver of the Lifu steam bus in 1897 and the driver of London's first bus. For the past 11 years I have been in business as a garage proprietor and haulage contractor, but owing to rate cutters I. have had to dispose of the business. I am, however, starting out on a new venture—" hirer-driver." ["Hires" is but one of many who, through the unrestricted activities of rate-cutting hauliers, has had to abandon the business of haulage contracting and seek some other means for earning a living.—En.] I have made extensive inquiries regarding insurance from many companies and the best I have been able to procure for a Morris-Cowley 11.9 h.p. saloon, 1928 model, is a full comprehensive policy, including passenger risk, at a premium of £33, insured bearing the first £5 in case of any accidental damage only to the insured's car.
I am writing to ask you if you can put me in touch with anyone who supplies agreement forms for "hirerdrivers." I am anxious that everything should be clear, as I am informed by all insurance companies that I should hold the hirer responsible for the first
£5 in any accident claim. HIREE. Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
[There is no standard form of agreement for car-hire service. I am sending you a copy of one which has proved satisfactory 'n use and which is agreeable to a well-known firm of insurance brokers who deal Mainly in Lloyd's. policies.
Incidentally, this same firm tells me that their premium for the Morris-Cowley saloon you have in mind: would only be £30, and that they would expect you to bear only £2 10s. excess. If you are interested I will pass your name on to thmt.—S.T.R.]