Battle opens for Bristol Freightliners depot
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• By the end of next year Freightliners Ltd proposes to have a fully operational terminal established at Avonmouth, Bristol. The project, to cost an estimated £1m, will be the largest single terminal in the UK.
This was said on Monday by Mr T. D. Corpe in Bristol while presenting an application on behalf of Freightliners for licences for four articulated vehicles.'
Mr Corpe said the new concept of transport had been entirely successful. The first Freightliner service had been introduced between London and Glasgow in 1965; in the first year 27,000 containers were transported. The growth rate had been considerable as 400,000 containers were carried in 1969.
The solicitor said, so far as Bristol was concerned, the intention was to set up a full-scale terminal at Avonmouth, expected to open at the end of 1971.
"One doesn't spend a million on opening a new terminal without a considerable amount of market research to make sure the traffic is going to be there," he added.
Pending establishment of the terminal,
Freightliners proposed, subject to a grant, to establish a depot with West of England Freight Terminal Ltd at Avonmouth.
Mr Corpe said the West of England Freight was a fairly gigantic undertaking, established by a number of principal international transport operators.
Freightliners' terminal scheme had the full blessing of the Port of Bristol Authority, who welcomed the development for the Bristol area. At the moment the company used its Cardiff transport for bringing customers' containers to the Bristol port.
Mr Thomas Winter, road services assistant, South Western area, Freightliners, told the Licensing Authority, Mr J. R. C. Samuel-Gibbon, that the purpose of the application was to re-distribute containers more economically.
Asked why the company wanted its own vehicles rather than hire transport, Mr Winter said: -There are many reasons. Our rates are competitive with road rates and we provide a speedy, reliable service with security. By using our own cartage we can continued on page 32