ROAD HAULAGE COSTS: VIEWS OF CANTERBURY BODY

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 October 1948, Page 8

ROAD HAULAGE COSTS: VIEWS OF CANTERBURY BODY

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Complete agreement with the statement of Mr P. S.-Boyes, managing director of ..Transport (Nelson) Ltd., on the increases in road haulage costs, if the Government enforced the axle-loading regulations, was expressed by the executive of the Christchurch Carriers’ Association and the Road Transport Alliance. “Some exception was taken to the action of the North afid South Island Motor Unions in making application to the Minister of Transport to have heavy traffic confined to the established road and bridge classification weights,” reads the statement. “It is the opinion of the industry that representations such as these are illtimed and unjust, and the efforts of the motor unions, who, after all, represent a great proportion of transport industry, as well as the private motorist, could be directed towards obtaining better road conditions. ‘The amount spent on the maintenance and construction of roads for 1935, 1936 and 1937 averaged over £7,000,000 per annum, but for the year 1945-46 only £5,000,000 was spent. With the increased costs the actual amount of maintenance work done in 1945-46 would be considerably below that of the other years compared, irrespective of • the fact that the number of vehicles has increased by approximately 100,000. “It would appear that the niggardly amount of £5,000,000 spent by the Government in 1946 by no means reaches the requirements of the country in the ever-increasing demands of modern transport.”