Car Testing—Good Times And Bad

Press, Issue 32333, 26 June 1970, Page 14

Car Testing—Good Times And Bad

Delays at vehicle testing stations to obtain a warrant of fitness are least at the Sockburn Station between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. on a Thursday or a Friday. On the other hand delays are greatest at the Lichfield Street station from 4 p.m. on a Monday or Tuesday. These facts were presented at a meeting of the council of the Automobile Association (Canterbury) last evening. A letter from the Road Transport Division of the Ministry of Transport to the national motoring and traffic committee of the council listed the best and worst times to avoid delays at each of the three vehicle-testing

stations in Christchurch. The Lichfield Street station was named as the worst of all. Mondays and Tuesdays were cited as the worst days; the situation improving towards the end of the week. At the Cranford Street station, however, although the

station was consistently busy, delays were not as great as at the Lichfield Street station. The best times at Cranford Street were between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Mondays and Tuesdays were the worst days and Fridays the lighest The Sockburn Station had the least delays and again the best times were between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. At both the Lichfield and Cranford Street stations the worst times of the day were from 4 p.m. The reason for this was that vehicles which are under repair during the day arrive at the testing stations about that time for a warrant. The council also received a list of suggestions, which will be considered at the next meeting of the national motoring and traffic committee, to deal with the apparent increase in motoring offences

and cases of reckless and dangerous driving. Among these were a call for more traffic officers on duty in cars and on motorcycles, a “blitz" on cyclists who ignore the rules of the road, greater insistence on signalling, a mandatory course of instruction and new driving test for any driver who has lost his licence, and improved road lighting, kerbs, camber and siting of poles. Membership. The council elected 457 new members. Membership of the Canterbury association now stands at 70,841. Car Checks.—The association carried out 471 car cheeks in May. Of these 411 were standard checks, 28 partial checks, a further 28 engine analysis checks and four checks on individual engine components.