ROAD TRANSPORT

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23971, 11 June 1943, Page 3

ROAD TRANSPORT

SAVING OF VEHICLE MILES DEPARTMENT’S WORK REVIEWED From Our Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON, June 10. Salient points recorded in the annual r eport of the Transport Departmen* include an annual saving cl 25,450,000 vehicle miles to meet the shortage of commercial tyres, farreaching measures for the zoning of retail deliveries, and the adoption of speed and load restrictions to prolong tyre life. There were nearly 20,000 fewer cars and 3000 fewer trucks on the registei at the end of 1942, as compared with 1941. Long distance private car traffic virtually disappeared from the roads early in 1942, and long distance bus truck, and service car traffic fell away heavily towards the end of the year. The reorganisation of bus services involved an overall reduction of 25 per cent, in bus mileage, including a 73 per cent, reduction in Sunday services. Reviewing the work of goods transport conti’ol committees, the report says that there is a right of appeal against their decisions in allocating orders for carriage among available carriers; but there have been surprisingly few appeals. In general, the committees aim at organising road transport so that empty running is reduced to the barest possible minimum. Since last June permits to fit gas oroducers have been issued for 35 cars and eight trucks in the South Island Declarations at the time of registration indicated that 434 cars and 145 truck; were then fitted with gas producers in the South Island. The number of road accidents in New Zealand dropped from 2851 in 1941 to 1939 in 1942. In 1941 175 lives were lost in road accidents, and in 1942, 167.