PURCHASE OF NEW TRUCK

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23376, 6 December 1945, Page 4

PURCHASE OF NEW TRUCK

Decision By Levels Council Contract Work Has Proved Costly “It would be cheaper to operate our own trucks than to have the work done by contract,” said the County Clerk (Mr G. B. Bird) at a meeting’ of the Levels County Council yesterday when the proposed programme of work on the roads was discussed. It was decided to buy another truck capable of carrying three cubic yards of shingle. The Council had plans for the reconstruction of several miles of roads for the year 1945-46 and provided the sum of £4OOO for this work. Because of floods, the work was postponed but it will be done as soon as conditions permit. The Council has also approved a five-year plan to seal all the main highways in the County. This means that there will be no shortage of work for some years. “My Council understands that there are several transport licences held by men who are now out of business and whose licences are not being used,” Mr Bird wrote to the No. 3 Transport Licensing Authority (Mr T. H. Langford) in October. “If such is the case, the Council is of the opinion that the position should not be allowed to continue while there is the present shortage of cartage contractors in this district."

After giving details of the tenders called and those received by the Council for work in the past, Mr Bird added that the Council had urgently required metal on the roads and had accepted the prices of the contractors. “It appears that there is a shortage of contractors in South Canterbury, particularly contractors with dump trucks," Mr Bild continued. “The Council wishes to know if the Licensing Authority can do anything with the licences that have not been used

for some years. It is considered that if the present holders do not intend to operate the licences they should be made available to contractors who would be prepared to put trucks on the road.’’ Replying to the letter, the, Christchurch district officer of the Transport Department (Mr J. S. Haywood) explained that the Authority could only deal with applications as they were brought before him. The Transport Department had jurisdiction over licences which were not being used. Necessity and desirability had to be shown by the applicant, part of the proof of which was the fairly full use of the vehicle authority or authorities issued under the continuous transport licence. In a further letter, Mr Haywood suggested that the Council should give an undertaking to offer reasonably full employment to a returned serviceman or servicemen who might be granted the required transport licence to undertake work for the Council. “I do not see how we could guarantee that,” said Mr J. E. P. Cameron when the letter was read at the meeting yesterday. “We will not have flood damage to our roads every year.” Mr Donald Grant: There is no competition among the contractors; if they tendered for our work at a fair price we would be satisfied.

"Contractors have to pay heavy traffic licences,” said the County Clerk. “They do not receive the refund of lOd a gallon on petrol as the Council will get. The contractors are out to make a profit, whereas the Council is not.” Mr Bird submitted tables of the sums paid by the Council for the hire of lorries from April, 1939, to November, 1945. The total amount paid in 43 months was £46o2—an average of £lO7 a month. This did not include amounts paid on account of flood damage, which totalled £2347. While it cost more than £lOO a month to have the work done by contractors the Council could operate its own trucks at a monthly cost of between £5O and £6O, added Mr Bird. The chairman (Mr R. G. Cleland): It certainly looks as if we should have sufficient trucks to do all of our own work. “Neither the Waimate nor the Geraldine County Council lets contracts for the laying' of shingle and metal on the roads,” said the engineer (Mr E. A. Collins). Mr Cameron: If we have our own trucks we can do a job when we want it done. This will obviate any delay. "Our roads need 28.000 cubic yards of metal,” said the engineer. “If this was spread in two years, 100 cubic yards would have to be handled by each of three trucks every week." On the motion of Mr A. H. Giles it was decided to purchase another truck. After further discussion it was agreed on the motion of Mr R. W. R. Munro that the engineer should make inquiries to ascertain if supplies of bitumen could be made available for the tarsealing of the main Otipua highway and the Timaru-Holme Station Bridge highway. The engineer said that a survey of these roads was being carried out and it was agreed that if bitumen could be obtained the roads would be sealed.