HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 118, 21 May 1929, Page 17

HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES.

WHO WILL PAY THE TAX? DEFENCE FOR PRIVATE CAR OWNERS. SUGGESTED PETITION. b ■ (By H. J. BUTCHER). For some considerable time there has been'an agitation by the heavy traffic owners to have their heavy traffic fees, which amounted to approximately £250,000 last year (and are increasing annually), reduced or removed. The Master Carriers' Association have beer, quietly but actively working towards this end for some considerable time. .. A lot is heard about the heavy'traffic owner having to pay £75 per annum for each vehicle, but there are only approximately 350 vehicles in the whole of New Zealand that are taxed at that figure, the remaining 24,050 being ta.xed at various lower rates according to weight. ' The' average of the total only amounts to £10 per annum, which is not a very high figure to pay for the wear and tear on the roads for which they are responsible. If the heavy traffic owners should be successful in obtaining their object, this £250,000 will 'have to be found by some other tax-payer, and the only person who could be looked upon to make up the deficiency is the private motor car.

owner, and the only way to collect the money would be through the petrol tax; and, unless our roads are to deteriorate to the extent of a quarter of a million pounds or more a year, the petrol tax will have to be increased. The heavy traffic owner naturally will say that. he will have to pay the increased petrol tax. This is quite true, but as the private owner consumes at the very JoAvest estimate, not less than 75 per cent of the total benzine used in New Zealand, it is obvious that 75 per cent of the increased tax will have to bo paid by the private owner. It is believed that this is one of the worst instances ever known in New Zealand of one body of taxpayers attempting to pass their fair and just tax on to a section of the community who under no circumstances whatever should be called upon to pay. It has long been recognised by all the local bodies, Highways Board, and the Public Works Department, that the heavy traffic is mainly responsible for the damage done to and the very heavy maintenance required on our roads. The heavy traffic fees only pay a small proportion of the cost to repair the damage that tb.ey are responsible for. The Average. As the average fee paid annually by a lorry owner is only £10, the public will certainly not receive the benefit of the reduction in the deacresed cost of carrying goods. The saving would go into the pocket of the lorry owner. As the present regulations allow four-wheel lorries a maximum loaded weight of 10 tons and if fitted with six wheels, 15 tons, to use our main highways, these highways have to be designed and constructed to carry this weight, although there are only about 350 of them in the country. This naturally requires a higher standard and more expensive road to be built than if the maximum was only six tons. Most of this extra expenditure comes out of the pocket of the private owner. The more our main highways are improved with the private owners' money, more and more heavy lorries will be carrying goods over these roads, and more money will our railways be losing every year, by being deprived of theiv best paying lines of freight and passenger traffic. On the Auckland to Hamilton road we see the number of lorries and buses increasing every month, and one dreads to think what chance the private owner will have to take a pleasure drive over this poad when the reformation is completed in about two years' time. I am afraid it lie is looking for a comfortable drive he will have to use the by ways the same as they do in England, and leave the main highway to the lorries, buses and service cars. ■ • . To combat the threatened increase in the petrol tax,' it would be a good suggestion to open- a public petition to be

presented to the- Government protesting against any reduction in the heavy traffic fees, and if all the private owners could bo induced to sign «a. petition, I do not think that any Government would dan to act against the wishes of all the private car owners in New Zealand. The New Zealand Transport Commission, just created, has ten members, and out of these the private owner has only two representatives, who I am afraid will have a very hard light unless they have, the very strong and visible support of all private catowners. It is hoped that a stiong petition will be and signed by every private owner in New Zealand.