FIRE BRIGADE MOTORS

Evening Star, Issue 21582, 30 November 1933, Page 6

FIRE BRIGADE MOTORS

ARE THEY HEAVY TRAFFIC VEHICLES ? [Per United Press Association.] AVELLINGTON, November 29. Submitting that the ten motor vehicles operated by the AA r ellington Fire Board came under the heavy motor vehicle regulations of 1932 ( the AA 7ellington City Corporation claimed in the Supreme Court to-day a total of £2BO 14s 6d in heavy traffic fees. The Chief Justice (Sir Alichael Alyers) was on the Bench. The question really turned on whether the vehicles were or were not private motor cars, stated Mr O’Shea for the corporation. A motor car was a vehicle other than a motor cycle designed solely or principally for the carriage of persons not exceeding nine. The vehicles in question, lie submitted, were designed as lire engines, and for the carriage of fire apparatus. Air AVatson, for the board, said this was the first time a fire board had been asked to pay heavy traffic fees, and he submitted it was not the intention of the regulations that fire boards should be liable. The vehicles, he said, were private motor cars principally designed for tho carriage of passengers that comprised the personnel of _ the fire brigade. It was a farcical situation, he added. If fire engines came under the heavy traffic regulations then there were hundreds of miles of road they would he debarred from using, and they would have to put up with many ridiculous restrictions. The corporation would get no profit out of the fees in any case. It would have to pay 50 percent., and would get 50 per cent. back. The other 50 per cent, would be shared bv the local bodies over whose roads the engines could not travel. The case will be continued to-morrow.