MOTOR OWNERSHIP

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXV, Issue 12390, 30 July 1937, Page 4

MOTOR OWNERSHIP

NEARLY DOUBLE IN 12 YEARS LAST RE-LICENSING FIGURES The results of the annual re-li-censing of motor vehicles have been made available by the Transport Division of the post office which is able to show the distribution of motor vehicles throughout the Dominion and the further development in motor ownership. The grand total of vehicles licensed as at the 30th June, 1937, was 209,494, an increase of 21,912 on the corresponding figure for last year, representing a rise of 11.68 per cent. The greatest advance has been in cars which have increased by 18,448 or 14.15 per cent. Commercial vehicles licensed are 3,833 in excess of the previous year’s total, an increase of 8.87 per cent., while motor cycles show a decrease of 369 or 2.65 per cent. Distribution of licenses in the various postal districts of the Dominion is as follows:

The classification “Other Vehicles” includes contract motor vehicles, taxis, rental and private hire cars, service cars, Government vehicles, exempted vehicles and trailers. How rapidly motor ownership has developed in the Dominion can be seen from a comparison of the latest figures with the registrations of June 30th, 1925, which totalled 106,449, .'bowing that in the intervening period the figures have almost doubled. The registration process this year went through smoothly notwithstanding that about threequarters of the work was handled during the final week. There were 354 Deputy Registrars dealing with licenses, and in addition 560 postmasters collected fees and forwarded the forms to the nearest Deputy Registrar for final attention.

AUCKLAND ] [ncrease Cars 28,660 4330 Trucks 6,758 49 Others 1,918 445 Cycles 3,212 THAMES SO Cars 5,555 633 Trucks 1,537 47 Others 369 108 Cycles 444 HAMILTON 2* Cars ' 13,064 1704 Trucks 3,561 51 Others 1,003 269 Cycles 1,025 GISBORNE 7 7* Cars 3,613 362 Trucks S23 76 Others 314 97 Cycles 360 NAPIER 43 Cars 7,392 906 Trucks 2,063 52 Others 588 186 Cycles 438 26* NEW PLYMOUTH Cars 8,284 769 Truck,? 2,057 72 Others 347 79 Cycles 808 WANGANUI 88* Cars 5,857 "688 Trucks 1,418 62 Others 343 82 Cycles 499 16* PALMERSTON NORTH Cars 9,527 1019 Trucks 2,031 64 Others 533 114 Cycles 641 9 WELLINGTON Cars 17,318 2644 . Trucks 3,833 97 Others 1,423 392 Cycle.3 1,344 BLENHEIM 41* Cars 1,645 203 Trucks 471 32 Others 145 37 Cycles 178 NELSON 19* Cars 3,054 273 Trucks 878 15 Others 257 51 Cycles 282 WESTPORT 73* Cars 554 S6 Trucks 214 5* Others 83 25 . Cycles 72 7 GREYMOUTH Cars 1,710 17G Truck,? 534 4* Others 244 G6 Cycles 197 17* CHRISTCHURCH Cars 19,187 2353 Trucks 4,082 193 Others 1,671 420 Cycles 2,074 TIMARU 35 Cars 4,806 468 Trucks 1,146 101 Others 388 69 Cycles 401 OAMARU SO* Cars 2,006 236 Trucks 447 32 Others 131 2* Cycles 144 DUNEDIN 15* Car.?. 9,287 915 Trucks 2,280 55 Others 755 193 Cycles 963 25* INVERCARGILL Cars 7,348 683 Trucks 1,847 51 Others 560 162 Cycles 493 * Decrease 64*