TESTING OF CARS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 152, 30 June 1938, Page 22

TESTING OF CARS

AUCKLAND PROPOSAL

OBJECTION RAISED

{By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 29.

There is a fairly widely-held belief in the motor trade in Auckland that the Auckland City Council will not proceed any further with the proposal to establish a testing-station for the issue of warrants :of fitness for motor vehicles.

At present the testing and issuing of certificates is done by approved garages, but, acting on an assurance! by the Minister of Transport (the Hon. j R. Semple) that within two years all' vehicles in the Auckland area would be tested in a municipal Station, the last City Council decided to establish the necessary plant. Land and testing equipment were obtained, and tenders were called for a supply of steel, the intention being to erect the necessary buildings by day labour under the supervision of the city's engineering staff.

Now it is believed there is a majority on the new council which is averse to doing any building other than by contract and is also of opinion that the testing of motor vehicles can well be left to existing garages, which are well equipped, to do this class of work, Tenders for; the supply of steel have been deferred. , . . Should this prove to be the view ofi the majority of the council, it will be necessary for them to decide how to dispose of the land and machinery already acquired for the project. At the end of last year, the council acquired a ■ large block .of land. : Testing machinery was . purchased by tender at a cost of more than £850, the amoUnt spent on-the project last year being shown in the estimates as £2258. This year the only appropriation for the testing station included in the estimates is £200 as ground rent. The City Engineer. Mr. Tyler, m April estimated the cost of the new station, excluding Equipment, at £9540. Basing the estimated revenue on the testing of vehicles registered within 14 miles of the Chief Post Office, and excluding Omnibuses and taxis, the traffic department fixed the. annual return at £7634. Expenditure for the first year, allowing £1000 for the purchase and installation of equipment, was fixed at £5436. As recently as June 8, the Automobile Association (Auckland) discussed the question and decided to suggest to the City Council that the testing of vehicles should be left to garages. It was then stated that, assuming there would be 30,000 vehicles in the area to be served by the station, it would mean that an average of 240 vehicles would have to be every working day, creating congestion at this point and adding to the traffic problem. .