"Stop Denationalization" Motion Many New Licences Defeated : Big-unit List
Page 35
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
on July 14 for Steel Haulage AMOTION tabled by Mr. Attlee and Mr. Morrison and other Labour M.P.s, that denationalization be abandoned because of facts disclosed in the reports of the Disposal Board and the continued financial success of British Road Services, was defeated in the House of Commons on Tuesday by 294 votes to 264.
Mr. James Callaghan accused the Minister of Transport of " shuffling and equivocation " and of making "rash forecasts," After 14 months of denationalization procedure, B.R.S. still operated over 30,000 vehicles. "The plain truth is that these 6,000 lorries which have been sold have been hawked around the country in one list after another. They have been offered and re-offered," Mr. Callaghan said, adding that less than 20 per cent, of the lorries disposed of had been sold to small hauliers who had been nationalized and later returned to the haulage business.
25-Mile Liinit Breaches?
He alleged that existing hauliers had been breaking the law by running outside the 25-mile limit. They had purchased vehicles to obtain a special A licence so that if challenged outside 'he limit they would be able to produce it.
Mr. Callaghan asserted that the Road Haulage Association had tried to get good bargains at cheap prices. It would be a long time, he said, before there would be a greater degree of effrontery than that of the R.H.A. going to the Minister and asking him to agree that when three or four bids were made the highest should be accepted. "I give the Minister credit, he rejected the proposal, but that is typical of the approach of this organization to that problem," Mr. Callaghan stated.
City Interests
There were rumours, he continued, that there were City interests willing to buy financial blocks in companies if the Minister agreed to set them up. The proposal was that the British Transport Commission should retain managerial rights or even 51 per cent. of the shares, and the city financiers were going to take the profits of the 49 per -sent. He challenged the Minister to deny these reports.
" It is my intention," said the Minister, " to see that the Act is carried mt. The Act calls upon the Corn
nission, with the sancticin of the 3isposal Board, to dispose of the assets ti the road haulage services." Both the I.T.C. and the Board had been active n preparing for disposals. of large ,roups and a list was to be published al July 14 of 50 units with premises, he majority of which were medium or irge groups.
It was proposed tu dispose of the reater portion of the parcels and smalls services intact, although a certain number of small units would he made available. He had been informed by thc B.T.C. that the best course was for the whole of the property used in connection with the parcels network to be transferred to one company, with a view to the shares being sold in accordance with Section 5 of the 1953 Act.
The Minister reiterated his belief that denationalization would be well advanced by the end of this year. In the autumn the demands of the small man would have been met and a start made in offering the vehicles in the big groups. There would have been 10 lists in all, almost entirely designed for the small purchaser's requirements, and 15,000 vehicles were to be offered under those lists.
He denied that there had been any disturbances in the transport services of the country or that anything underhand had occurred in denationalization procedure.
DEFECTS IN LICENSING STRUCTURE THERE were defects in the present I structure of public service vehicle licensing which allowed some companies to summate stage-carriage fares which produced rates for an identical journey at lower than those sanctioned by the Licensing Authority. it was quite possible for a fare on a 130-mile journey to be Is. 9d. less than the excursion rate.
Mr. Robert Barr, chairman of Barr and Wallace Arnold Trust, makes these remarks in his annual statement.
The discrepancy, he said,was brought about by the amalgamation of shortdistance fares, co-ordinated to the detriment of short-distance travellers. Certain undertakings were able to link the whole of the country in a manner which reacted adversely upon other operators.
The company paid, in connection with its tours business, some £20,000 in gratuities to hotel staffs in a year. He felt that the hotels could reduce this.
He protested against high taxation but referred to the economy of new lightweight vehicles.
DECISIONS were made by the South Wales Licensing Authority this week concerning applications from many operators who sought licences primarily for the carriage of steel and tinplate to various parts of Great Britain.
A licences were granted to 12 operators, B licences to 18 and the applications of nine were refused.
Mr. Rosser John, for the British Transport Commission, warned that the granting of a large number of licences would upset the whole of the South Wales transport system. Many of the roads were so congested as to be almost impassable at times.
He claimed that the railways, which carried 90 per cent, of cheap-rate raw materials, should be allowed a share of the higher-rated finished-product traffic.
Mr. lvIeurig Evans for the applicants, said that transport facilities in South Wales were totally inadequate, The Authority said that he had noted that industry had altered its methods in that there was now less warehousing. Nevertheless, people should realize that it was not possible for him to license vehicles so that they could have them available at a moment's notice, MORE SPECIAL A's GRANTED
MORE acquisitions of transport units in the Northern Area are revealed in the current issue of Applications and Decisions." Special A licences have been granted to Messrs. C. F. Appleby and J. Dowling, Chapel Garage, South Bank Road, Middlesbrough, for two vehicles (8 tons 12 cwt.); and Queich Carriers, Ltd., 28 Side, Newcastle upon Tyne, two vehicles (14 tons 16 cwt), based at 1 Ord Street, Newcastle upon Tyne. These have been assigned by R.A.H. Transporters, Ltd., 28 Side, Newcastle upon Tyne.
In the Western Area, J. Smith (Bicknor), Ltd., Carterspiece Farm, near Coleford, Glos., have been granted special A licences for four vehicles (13 tons 1 cwt.).
Other purchases of transport units are reported on pages 726-727.
MAINTENANCE COST INQUIRY AT OLDHAM
PAA SEARCHING investigation into maintenance costs has been recommended by the borough treasurer of Oldham in a report on the municipal passenger transport undertaking, which is not in a prosperous condition, He also advocates a 2d. minimum fare and higher long-distance fares. The transport committee are studying the report.
EXCESS LOAD: £3 FINE. A. FINE of £3 was imposed by
Sheffield magistrates upon Emmanuel Jeffeock, Balaclava Road, Sheffield, .for allowing a 33-scat coach to carry an excess load. It was stated that there were nine people sitting on fishing baskets in the aisle of the coach.