Petrol restriction to start; earless days possible

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33452, 6 February 1974, Page 1

Petrol restriction to start; earless days possible

(Netc Zealand Press Association) \\ ELLINGTON, February 5. Regulations prohibiting the sale of petrol from noon on Saturdays until 7 a.in.on Mondays, starling this week-end, were approved today by the Cabinet.

The new rules, which will he gazetted on Thursday, apply to everyone except ambulance, fire, and police services, traffic officers, medical practitioners. ministers of religion, buses and passenger transport a chicles, rural mail contractors. Post Office services, veterinarians, district nurses, some Ministry of \\ orks staff, and drivers of vehicles carrying food, livestock or milk.

Announcing the regulations, the Minister of Energy Resources (Mr Freer) said that earless days oi' part-earless days, might still he needed. Genuine emergency cases! ■ will also be exempt, but just : running out of petrol won’t be an emergency; and in someleases the police will have to decide. Decisions might be taken by the Cabinet two weeks from now if the supply position did not improve, he said. The most likely move was a banning of all private ■ motoring from noon on Sundays, every second Sunday., Mr Freer said that the re-, filiations would allow cer-i tain garages, such as the I taxi company garages in the! main cities, to stay open. l during the no-sale period to | sell petrol to those on the. exempt list.

Record kept

In country districts special i arrangements might have to i be made. Every retailer authorised to ■ sell would have to keep a record of all customers, and

■ I would have to note theirl ■ |name, address and registraJtion number. , The regulations prohibit! ; only the sale of motor spirits;; ; garages may stay open in the closed period to undertake repairs. The regulations will be enforced by Ministry of Trahs- | port traffic officers. Offenders :,—who may be either seller or! buyer—will be liable to up! ’:to three months 'in prison or) ’ a. fine of up to $4OO. Special arrangements are 1 being made to cover the pur-i ’ichase of bulk fuel in con-! 'Hainers by people with reWords of bulk buying. This ' will apply to farmers, con- ‘! tractors, boat owners and so I ' on. In general, sales in con-! tainers are limited to two' gallons. Mr Freer said he again i ) appealed to boat owners to ' cut down petrol use. though', he thanked them for savings! ! made already. The Minister said he put! much importance in the New, I Zealand mission to Arab! countries which is being led' by the Deputy Secretary of! Foreign Affairs (Mr J. V.! Scott), and New Zealand's, , Ambassador to Italy (Mr P. IN. Holloway).

Classification

New Zealand was al present classified as “neutral,”, bringing a cut of 15 to 20 per cent in supplies. New Zealand' hoped to be reclassified as “friendly." Asked how such a re-, classification would affect New Zealand's relationships: with Israel, Mr Freer said that New Zealand had kept! out of the Middle East issues! and believed it was friendly to both sides. Asked how the exempt list; had been decided, Mr Freer’ said that other people would be able to fill up before the close down and survive until’ Mondays. If there were anv problems.

; the list could he extended, he I said. i Asked if he would cut out 'stock car racing. Mr Freer said that the organisers had ; already made big cuts in their | fuel use and bans were not proposed. He urged the public to save ; fuel of its own volition if it i wanted to avoid cuts, but I said appeals had not. had I much effect in the past. Appeals by the Prime Minister (Mr Kirk) had brought a drop in demand for just two days, while the price increase had brought decreased sales for just one week-end