MOTOR LORRIES

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 79, 3 April 1926, Page 8

MOTOR LORRIES

NEW REGULATIONS

PROVISION REGARDING TIRES

CERTAIN TYPES PROHIBITED,

Amended regulations , dealing with motor-lorries have been gazetted. The hew provisions came into operation on Ist April. "•''•' ■ It is provided that no person shall operate any six-wheeled! motor-lorry if the weight of its load exceeds nine, tons, or if the combined weight of the vehicle and load exceeds fifteen tons. A "sixwheeled motor-lorry" shall- mean not only a lorry so designed that the weight of the • load is distributed, between the middle pair of wheels and the rear pair of wheels, but also a lorry which, though originally four-wheeled, has been adapted to secure the better distribution of the load by means of a combination body and trailer with two wheels added. ' TIRE WIDTH. In regard to tires, the amending re: gulations contain the following new definitions of "width":— " 'Width' o? a tire in any case in which such tire is pneumatic or is otherwise made wholly or principally of a soft or elastic material such as rubber, and in held in a metal,rim-(whether the rim is detachable or part of the wheel) means the distance'measured across the tire, parallel to the axis- of the; wheel at the place nearest the top of. the metal rim where the tire .makes contact .with the rim. ■ . "Width' of a tire, 'in :any case in which such tire is made wholly or principally of a soft or elastic material such as rubber and is immovably affixed to a metallic base means the greatest distance that can be measured across the tire parallel to the axis of the _ wheel, exclusive of th/ distance (if' a-.y) along that line .where the soft or elastic material, when,measured .vertically towards the metallic base, is less than one-quarter of an inch in thickness. . . .' ' . .'■■; ,'.',... ■ " 'Width' in relation to a,metal tire means the- distance measured in the shortest straight line across the running surface of the tire that actually makes contact with the roadway;','' " WHAT TIRES MUST BE USED. Other clauses dealing'with;tires are as follow:— , .., . :. :.'•.- '^The tire of each wheel of a motorlorry, if such tire is not of a soft or elastic material, shall, be smooth, and shall, where the tire'touches-the surface of the road or other base whereon the motor-lorry moves or.rests be,flat. "Provided that the edges of the tire may be bevelled or rounded to the extent in the case of each edge of not more than half an inch, measured as the shortest straight line across the width of the surface of the bevelled or rounded portion. . ' . "Provided also that if the tire is constructed of separate plates the plates may be separated by parallel spaces which shall-be disposed throughout the outer. surface of the tire so that - nowhero shall the aggregate extent of the space or spaces in the coarse of a straight line drawn horizontally across the circumference of the wheel exceed one-eighth part of the widtli of the tire. "No person shall operate any motorlorry having any tires which, if not of a soft or elastic material, are not smooth and flat (to the extent aforesaid and subject to the foregoing proviso), or which, if constructed of \ separate plates, have spaces greater than the spaces hereinbefore prescribed." ; Provision is made for publicity prior to the exercise of powers to -prohibit traffic or certain kinds' of -traffic on certain roads. : "Notice of any prohibition under clause (4) of this regulation shall be given by the controlling authority at least seven days before.the commencement of the specified period, or the first of the specified periods, by means of a statement conveying the general effect of the prohibition published in some netyspaper circulating in the district to which the matter of the notice relates, and if there is no such newspaper then by. a printed ;. or written placard posted in some conspicuous place on the road or street affected by such notice. .■'.'■""■ "No person shall operate any motorlorry the use of which for the time being has been prohibited •by a controlling authority under clause : (4) .of this regulation.". ', There is a new clause providing.for a 5 per cent, reduction in fees payable for certain lorries if fitted with superresilient/tires .on all wheels, and the clause proceeds to. explain: ■■' '. ' A' superresilient tire is a tire not being a pneumatic tire.but composed' of;a soft or elastic material and of a kind, brand, or description certified by the Minister \>y notice published - in' the 'New Zealand Gazette' as being*a super-resilient tire for the purposes of the Motor^lorry Regulation* 1925." '. . . In. cases where a tractor ■ .with one trailer has been; licensed-,"for-, use as one' motor-lorry, provisio- is made for extra'fee where another .traileris.used fitted' with : tires' that" are chargeable with a greater fee than ■ the; tires. on the original:trailer. • ■.' ; ' '" .' ; : "Metalled .or hard-surfaced roads" as meant by clause. 5 of .regulation 13 of the amended regulations are defined as roads which "include a pumice road, a gravelled road, a metalled road (sealed, penetrated, or a bituminous concrete road or a cement concrete road cqnstructedf'in' each case to the satisfaction of - the Minister, and roads includes streets." : DISTRIBUTION OF FEES. Clauses dealing with the constitution of the authorities to distribute license fees are as follow:— . • "For the purpose of distributing the license fees there shall be within each heavy traffic district one distributing authority which shall be such one of the licensing' authorities within the heavy traffic district as may. be mutually agreed upon by such local authorities as aforesaid, or, in default of agreement, as may be nominated by a Magistrate on.the application of any of those local authorities. '' Every licensing, authority within* the heavy traffic district shall within ten days af£r the last, day of each of the months of March, June, September, and December in each' year remit'to the distributing authority all license fees received by it up to and including such respective last-mentioned dates and not previously so remitted. "Every distributing authority shall within'one month after the respective dates mentioned in the last preceding clause hereof account to every local authority within the heavjr traffic district concerned for all moneys payable to such local authority under this regulation up to and including the respective date 3 aforesaid: "Provided always that, if no agreement or order for apportionment of such moneys is in force upon any such re-date, it shall be sufficient if the distributing authority accounts as aforesaid within one month after the making of such agreement or order."