Coach Owner Wins Appeal
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A CONVICTION against Taylor's rib Central Garage (Exeter), Ltd., for permitting a 25-seat coach to be used without a road service licence was quashed by the King's Bench Divisional Court last week. The company, which had been fined £5 by the Cullompton, Devon, magistrates, had its appeal allowed with costs.
that, although the case raised a number of interesting points, the court proposed to deal with it on one comparatively narrow ground. The magistrates heard evidence in the ease of the hirer, Mr. Hartnell, whom they convicted, and thought, to save repetition, that they were entitled to take that evidence into account in the case against Taylor's.
"It is not a case where we can blame the magistrates." said Lord Goddard, "but it won't do. You cannot act in a case against A on evidence given in a case against B." The conviction could not, therefore, stand.
Mr. Justice Hilbery said he was not surprised that the magistrates thought that it was a technicality to re-hear the evidence. It could have been avoided by getting the parties in both cases to agree to having the evidence in both taken at the same time.
BEDFORD PRICES UP
BECAUSE of rising costs, Vauxhall Motors, Ltd., Luton, has, with effect from June 20, raised the prices of Bedford vehicles. Typical prices, with purchase tax, are as follows: 10-12-cat. van, £461 Ss. 24.; 1%-ton chassis, £561 17s. al.; 3-ton long-wheelbase chassis, £629 6s.; 440n 1.w.b. chassis, £735 10s. 4d.; 5-ton tw.b. chassis, E795 Ils. 3d.; 7-ton I.w.b. chassis, £999 17s.; Bedford-Scammell tractor 8-ton chassis and cab, £762 16s, Id.; passenger chassis, £1,063 I8s. 50.
ROAD ACCIDENTS RISE
ROAD casualties in Britain during April totalled 16,049, compared with 14,005 in the corresponding month last year. Deaths numbered 379 against 349, seriously injured 3,930 compared with 3,458, and slightly injured 11,740 against 10,198. There was a sharp increase in child-pedestrian casualties. These numbered 2,297 (1,835 in April, 1950), an increase of 25 per cent.