Five Authorities For Transport Licensing

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29021, 9 October 1959, Page 10

Five Authorities For Transport Licensing

(New Zealand Press Association) TIMARU, October 8. To achieve greater uniformity the Government intends to appoint five permanent transport licensing authorities in New Zealand.

Giving this information in an address to the twenty-seventh annual conference of the New Zealand Road Transport Alliance in Timaru today, the Minister of Transport (Mr Mathison) said these would replace the present 11 “part time” authorities and make for “more consistency and more stability in decisions.”

There was general disapproval among the 150 delegates when Mr Mathison outlined one of the clauses of the Transport Amendment Bill now before Parliament. “Any persons convicted of an offence against the regulations dealing with the railway restrictions is in for trouble from now on,” said Mr Mathison. “He will have to pay to the railways the amount of freight that would have been payable had the railways got the job.” Outlining the five main provisions of the bill, he said it would improve the machinery for licensing public carriers; remove anomalies; extend the distances permissible for the road 1 carriage of perishable foodstuffs and valuable stock; increase the penalties for licensing breaches; and liberalise some of the third party insurance provisions.

The findings of the Government i transport committee would be implemented in three ways, said Mr Mathison—by the legislation before the House, by changes in the regulations, and by administrative changes. “The White Paper has not yet been tabled and I’m afraid I can’t tell you what these recommepded changes in the regulations are,” he said. “Some Confusion” There had been “some confusion” with regard to determining actual railway distances, said the Minister. This would be removed with the passage of the present amendment bill. “The railway distances will be those set out in the Government railway timetables. No more ministerial certificates will be required, and you will be able to get mileages from any railway station,” he told the conference.

Another proposal affecting transport operators was that on

licensing. “All current licences — except those granted for periods of less than five years—are to continue in force indefinitely, and will not have to Come up for renewal every five years,” said Mr Mathison.

“An expiry date will not have to be given for new licence issues, except where an authority decides to issue a short-term licence.”

Additional Advantage

Mr Mathison said the .question had been raised of the additional advantage the Is a gallon petrol tax gave local bodies with “E” plate vehicles over roading contractors and carriers. “I have asked local authorities to co-operate and refrain from using this advantage to the detriment of operators,” said the Minister. “Most have done so. We will bring the rest into line under the terms of the bill introduced in the House yesterday.”