MOTOR OWNERSHIP

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 173, 19 April 1937, Page 10

MOTOR OWNERSHIP

Second Place Occupied By New Zealand REGISTRATION FIGURES Motor registration figures prepared by t.he transport division of the General Post Office show that on March 31 last there were 254,017 motor vehicles licensed to use the roads in Nets - Zealand. an increase of 27,243 vehicles, or 12.01. per cent, over last year. In addition to tlie licensed vehicles tlie register contains 24,110 “dormant” registrations, the grand total <rf registrations at the end of March being 278,127. The figures reach their highest, point at the end of May. and if (he present high rate of registrations is maintained during April and May, the total vehicles at the end of tlie licensing year will be about 284,000. There is a motor vehicle for every 5.4 persons in the Dominion, ami in proportion to population New Zealand stands second only to the United States of America as tlie largest motor-own-ing community in tlie world. A survey of tlie motor trade made some time ago by the Imperial Economic Committee showed that tlie following countries were highest on t.he list, the figures being motor vehicles per 1000 of population: United States, 206; New Zealand, 122; South Africa, 120; Canada. 107; Australia, 96: France, 52; United Kingdom. 44: Denmark, 36.

On the basis of the total registrations at Hie end of March, the flgures for New Zealand iu the above table would be 185 motor vehicles per 1960 population.

The growth in motor vehicle ownership has beer fairly evenly shared between ears and commercial vehicles, the increase in cars having been 20,100, or 13.40 per cent., and that of commercial vehicles 6903, or 13.04 per cent. Motor-cycles increased in number if--240. or one per cent. Registrations during the year represent mainly tlie additions of new vehicles to the Dominion’s motor fleet, and this total of 37.823. compared with 28.335 for 11'135, constituted a record since tlie inception of the registration system. Tlie previous highest point, readied in the year ended March, 1930, lias been exceeded by nearly 7000 registrations.

There was a record turnover of motor vehicles during the same period, this being reflected in the notifications of changes of ownership. They totalled .129,456, an increase compared with tlie previous year of 28,039, or 27.63 per qent.