Four Artics Out of Six
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THE Northern deputy Licensing Authority, Mr. Herbert Buick, on Monday granted an A licence in respect of four artics to Cawthorne and Sinclair Ltd., of Durham Road, Birtley. The applicant had asked. for variation of an A licence to include six artics, contending that customers' demands could not be met.
British Railways, British Road Services and several independent hauliers objected, their case being that there were enough vehicles available to meet the demand.
For the applicant, Mr. T. H. Campbell Wardlaw said that the firm had given an undertaking that if the application were granted the overall length of the vehicles would not exceed 35 ft, This had satisfied one objector.
Mr. Wardlaw said that the firm had a fleet of 28 vehicles and carried a variety of goods, including steel, electrical equipment, machinery, building material and foodstuffs.
Mr. R. Cawthorne, managing director, said his firm had depots in London, Birmingham and Glasgow but with present facilities had to sub-contract. This was difficult, he said, as most of the local hauliers were too full with work and because of this the company had to rely on foreign-based vehicles that were making return journeys.
Supporting evidence was given by Mr. George Holgate, of Thornes AEI, which has a television-tube factory at Sunderland, who said the company's production would increase in August from 21,000 to 30.000 tubes a week. This would mean an extra 18 to 20 loads.
Mr. Ian Robey, for the road objectors, submitted that if the six additional ' vehicles were granted it would increase the fleet of Cawthorne and Sinclair by 21 per cent. "1 do not think there is justification for that amount ".
Referring to a schedule which had been produced in court showing a record of telephone calls made to local hauliers in an attempt to carry some goods, Mr. Robey said that eventually all the orders on the schedule were carried. "It has been shown that there is an availability of vehicles ".