NEW LICENSES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 127, 1 June 1938, Page 3

NEW LICENSES.

TOTAL OVER. 21,300. MOTOR REGISTRATIONS. MANY DRIVERS UNLICENSED. Nearly 2000 motor vehicles -were licensed at the depot at the Auckland Town Hall yesterday,, in one of the busiest days ever experienced by the motor registrations staff. When the depot was closed last night the total licenses issued numbered 21,359, or 1700 greater than at the end of May last year. Drivers' licenses issued by the traffic department of the Auckland City Council up to last night totalled 10.277, which was 2SOO greater than a year ago. There was a similar increase in the number of drivers' licenses issued by the suburban municipal authorities and by lineal bodies throughout the province. "The figureos reflect the rise in the total of motor vehicles in use," said an official of the registrations branch to-day. "We have had a busy time, but everything has worked smoothly. To-day we are experiencing the usual late rush on the first day of the new licensing year, and the staff is being maintained at extra strength to cope with it." • It was stated that the numbers for motor cars issued from the Auckland depot ranged from 17.801 to 37,800. Estimates of the mot6r vehicles which are unlicensed and out of commission were hicher than in past years, the effect of the certificate of fitness being to p\it out of use many old cars and trucks which failed to come up to the required standard of efficiency. Many drivers were still unlicensed when the depot closed last night, an estimate bcin.fj that 9000 had not obtained their new licenses. The number of licenses issued to drivers by the city traffic department last year was 19.450, including numerous motorists from outside the city, and it was thought that the total for the new year now beginning would reach about 21,500. A comparison of the total of drivers with the number of vehicles could not be made, as the districts did not coincide, but it was generally agreed that the former ficnire would exceed the'latter by a considerable margin.