ROAD TRANSPORT

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 153, 25 March 1944, Page 6

ROAD TRANSPORT

Essential Services First

A statement that he was not prepared to jeopardize essential transport services by making petrol available for nonesential purposes was made yesterday by the Alinister of Transport, Air. O'Brien. He said that because of the increasing number of applications coming to hand for additional special road transport services to convey people to race meetings and other forms of sport and entertainment, it was necessary for the public to know that the maintenance of road transport was dependent on tyres and petrol. At the present time these two commodities. were in short supply, and in order that New Zealand might not be hampered in her production and war effort, supplies must be carefully conserved. “The licensing authorities and myself, said Air. O'Brien, “are inundated with innumerable requests for additional services to race meetings, sports and games, but it is impossible to accede to these requests and at the same time safeguard our essential services, which must inevitably take precedence over all forms of sport, entertainment and recreation. As Minister of Transport, my first. responsibility is to maintain all services essential for the running of the coiintry and required for the national war effort. I am not prepared to jeopardize those services by making petrol available for non-essential purposes. . “I realize,” added the Alinister, that this will impose hardship on the public and will restrict the holiday outings ot large numbers of people, but I believe the public generally will accept these, restrictions when they know that they are necessary in our war effort.