Licence Applications Particularly Difficult • in West Midland Area
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SUPPLYING proof of need in an application for an A licence is particularly difficult in the West Midland area. The only evidence that is acceptable to the Licensing Authority is a statement by the customer that he is dissatisfied with the service provided by the applicant's existing fleet. These criticisms were made by Mr. N. H. Carless, a well-known traffic-court advocate in the West Midland area, when he gave a talk on "Road Haulage Licensing Practice and Procedure" at a meeting of the Industrial Transport Association, Birmingham division, last week.
During the discussion, Mr. Carless said the plea that the customer would have to operate C-licensed vehicles to carry the traffic was not regarded as a valid argument in favour of granting the haulier the licence for an extra vehicle or vehicles.
The Licensing Authority had been known to ask the customer whether he had considered employing C-licensed vehicles to carry the extra traffic.
A number of members emphasized that the conditions applying to normal user were particularly " tough " on hauliers operating a single vehicle.