COACH OPERATOR TO ENTER MIDDLE
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EAST HAULAGE• A WEST MIDLAND coach Operator planning to enter the Middle East haulage field was granted an 0 licence for three vehicles and three trailers by the West Midland LA, Mr A. A. Crabtree, at Birmingham on August last week.
Francis Anthony Gilbert, trading as Gilbert Transport (Middle East), Buckmall Old Road, Hanley, Stoke on Trent, had applied for a licence for nine vehicles and six trailers to be acquired. An objection from the city of Stoke on Trent was withdrawn.
Vehicle examiner Mr Kenneth Hopley said Mr Gilbert at present operated five public service vehicles, the maintenance of which he carried out himself. The premises consisted of an L-shaped yard with two inspection pits, but no covered accommodation.
Long hours
So far as the heavy goods vehicles were concerned it was planned to contract out maintenance to a commercial garage. In his view five public service vehicles were all that Mr Gilbert could cope with. He worked long hours in a struggle to maintain vehicles which were no longer new. Any additional vehicles of any sort would mean an increase in responsibility and he was concerned about what would happen to psv, particularly as it was Mr Gilbert's intention to drive one of the Middle East vehicles.
Mr Gilbert said he would start with three tractive units which would be used to tow other people's trailers and his fleet would be built up gradually as more work was obtained.
There was room at his premises for parking the tractors in addition to the coaches. However, the city council objected to them being parked there and as a consequence he had agreed to park them at the premises of the commercial garage responsible for maintenance.
He was presently negotiating with the National Coal Board for a site which would accommodate all the vehicles. If Middle East work was successful the coach fleet would be reduced to two. Questioned by the LA, M Gilbert said that he was consi dering driving a vehicle on on run to the Middle East to firy out what the problems were.
Granted a licence for L months, the LA said that h( was not very happy about th( application but was preparec to give the operator a tria period conditional upon vehicles not being parked at hi present premises.