Insurance Rates to Rise By Up to 70 Per Cent.
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SUBSTANTIAL increases in the rates of insurance premiums for commercial vehicles, as from July I, are announced by the Accident Offices Association. In some instances the advance may be anything up
to 70 per cent.
In addition to an overall increase of approximately 12+ per cent. in premiums for goods vehicles, there will be considerable redefinition of districts relative to rating of risks. It is many years since the boundaries of these districts were last drawn up and substantial repopulation has occurred.
The effect of the redefinition will be that some boroughs and urban districts, now rated for insurance purposes on their individual populations, will, as from July 1, be considered to be part of the adjoining city and rated accordingly..
For example, if a 5-ton platform lorry operating on C licence and based in a municipal borough 15 miles frorn London at present pays £26 a year, the redefining of districts could place this area in the London category, with a resulting premium—at current rates— of 139. To this has still to be added the 12+ per cent. overall increase, making a total preinium of £43 17s. 6d. and a total increase of 68.75 per cent.
• Figures for A-licence and B.-licence operators will be substantially higher.
NARROW RADIO CHANNEL: G.P.O. STATEMENT
PENDING the outcome of Official trials, no licences will be issued by the General Post Office for the operation of mobile radio equipment on a basis of 25 kc/s channel spacing. This is implied in a G.P.O. letter to the Radio Communication and Electronic Engineering Association.
Frequency allocations for private mobile radio services will continue to be made only for 50 kets channel spacing in both high and low bands, and the equipment used must, therefore, meet the minimum technical requirements of the specifications for 50 ' When the time comes to introduce narrower channels, the Mobile Radio Committee will no doubt make a specific recommendation about the length of the change-:over period. Trials of equipment operating upon 25 kcis channels are expected to begin in the early autumn. A prominent manufacturer has been offering such equipment for some time. RAIL GOODS TRAFFIC DOWN THE effect of the easing of petrol and dery supplies is--seen in figures for rail traffic for the four weeks to April 2I. British Railways' freight revenue totalled £26.431,000, compared with £29,247,000 in the four weeks to March 24. Because of the Easter traffic, rail passenger revenue in the two four-week periods advanced from £9,371.000 to £10,819,000. R.H.(62) Soon : Rates to be Raised ? IT is probable that the increases in 1 road haulage wages Gontained in R.H.(62) will come into effect in the week beginning May 19. The national rates committee of the Road Haulage Association will meet next Thursday to consider the impact of higher wages and other costs, such as insurance, on rates. An increase is likely to be recommended. RAIL DOCK SERVICE NOT WANTED THERE was no need for British Rail ways to provide an express export, service from various parts of the country .to Liverpool docks. Thisview" has been put forward by the road transpOrt: section of LiverpoolChamber of Commerce. ' The Association of British Chambers of Cominerce are being told:by the section that the road haulage industry has for many years provided an--overnightservice from all parts of the country, and that a railway express service is merely a duplication of a facility already offered by hauliers. ALVIS FIRE TENDER KNOWN as the Salamander, a fire crash tender, based on the Saraeeri six-wheeled personnel carrier chassis, is being produced by Alvis, Ltd.; Coventry. First deliveries have been to the R.A.F. and the Royal Canadian Air Force. The vehicle has a Rolls-Royce eight-cylindered petrol engine and weighs 13 tons. Six-wheel-drive confers good cross-country performance. In recent air accidents in Canada and Singapore, aircraft were burnt out before crash tenders of conventional type reached them. UNION BACK TO EMPLOYERS A NATIONAL delegate conference 1-16 of the passenger group of the Transport and General Workers' Union decided last week to request a further meeting with the employers to discuss the claim for higher pay for company bus workers. The National Council for the Omnibus Industry will meet again today. It is understood that the employers have made no counter-offer to the workers' claim for an extra £1 2s. a week. No meeting of the National Joint Industrial Council to consider the municipal busmen's demand for increased wages has yet been fixed. Census of London Deliveries • 0,N Monday all deliveries to and collections from shops in the centres of la London boroughs were being checked and recorded under a census organized by the London traffic committee of the Traders' Road Transport Association. Bans on the loading and unloading of goods vehicles in the morning are proposed in the areas concerned, and the committee aim to form a picture of the extent to which shopkeepers will be Affected by the prohibitions. T.R.T.A. MUST "PADDLE OWN CANOE" A LTHOUGH the Yorkshire (West Z-A• Riding) Division of the Traders' Road Transport Association . had maintained close contact with trade associations and chambers of. trade in the area, it had to be prepared when occasion arose to paddle its own canoe, stated Mr. E. 1. Chamberlain, chairman, in his annual report.. An instance was found in York, where proposals to prohibit the waiting of welds vehicles between 11.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. went almost unchallenged until the division objected. AS a result of their objection, a • conference of interested parties was arranged and the division was almost the only organization represented which had reasoned alternative proposals to advance. Mr. Chamberlain averred. Proposals affecting goods vehicles engaged upon their legitimate business had been excluded from the draft order applied for by York City Council.. END OF RATIONING STILL ' UNKNOWN -L N the House of Commons on Monday, Mr. Reginald Maudling, Paymaster. General, refused to state a date on which petrol rationing would end. He said it would be most unwise to do so until there was assurance of a reasonably steady flow of supplies. Rationing was continuing to yield great economies. During the first 19 weeks of rationing. 650,000 fewer tons of petrol were" delivered to dealers and customers than the estimated normal quantity. Savings at the rate of 15 per cent, were effected during the four weeks to April 25.