MOTOR VEHICLES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18263, 23 December 1924, Page 10

MOTOR VEHICLES.

—♦ REGULATIONS UNDER NEW ACT. NEW NUMBER PLATES. A statement regarding the regulations under tho liotor Vehicles Act of last. cCtsioi'', \Yiiu■:> o-omes in*. l effect on New .Year's Day, was made yesterday by the Mavor (Mr J. A- I'lecher) u> a representative at 'Tho press.' The Mayor spoko particularly regarding tho iT-gulatioTi providing th.it aii motor vehicles must bo provided with new number plates upon t!ic regulitions coming into effect. The regulations present in force allow ear ov ners to paint the registered number of their ears on them, and hundreds of c ar owners have done sc and fixed their lighting arrangement so as to illuminate the printed number. In «mc cases, tho Mayor said, this was a more satisfactory method than a plate which might he lost or taken off the ear. . Mr Flesher recently comnninwatea tho Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. 11. F. Bollard) and suggested that tlie practice of painting the registered number on ears should be allowed to l>e continued. The Under-Secretary lias replied to the Mayor stating that, directed by the Minister, lie had to advise tliat Clause 2of the regulations required that plates should bo affixod to cars and that the Mayor's suggestion was not considered sufficient compliance with the regulations. The Mayor added that enquiries made yesterday elicited the fact that no new number plates could be issued for a considerable time —probably they would not be ready for six months. "There are 11,(XX) motor vehicles in Christchurch," tho Mayor said, "and this regulation necessitates the purchase of 22,000 new number plates. Taking the average cost of each «it 10s, this will involve an expenditure of £II.OOO. If no prevision is made for printing the registered numlier on a car, the lighting 6ysteni on many ears will require to bo altered and will involve further expenditure. I think that attention, should be drawn to this regulation so that motorists may understand tlte effect of it."

Asked when the supply of number plates for registering motor vehicles under the Motor Vehicles Act would come forward, tho Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. R. F. Bollard) said last night: "(Something will be done before January Ist. The Postal people are the registering and distributing authorities.''