TRANSPORT PROBLEM.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 10449, 2 December 1927, Page 3

TRANSPORT PROBLEM.

GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION;. COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE. BUSINESS. " NO DRASTIC STEPS INTENDED MEANTIME. • WELLINGTON, Dec. 1. Mr Coates issued a statement today, in i.-cgarj to the into the transport systems of New Zealand. “As the preliminary consideration by a small, departmental comrn.tt'oo lias proceeded it has become increasingly clear that the problem is one of very considerable importance and complexity,” lie Lays. “A larger preliminary committee accordingly nas been set up to co-ordinate the work, consisting of permanent heads of the Public ’Works Department,’the Post and Telegraph Department, the Railway and Marine Departments, with all of winch are associated the Government Statistician and representatives of the Prime Minister’s department. •‘The committee now is engaged in the t*;isk ol evolving a definite plan by which it is hoped to collate in the simplest and most effective' way facts and figures .which • will serve to form a basis of reasoned conclusion as to the present position. '■’As illustrating the magnitude and importance of the work before the committee, it may be pointed out that the scope of its investigations include a review of road taxation by local bodies,- and by the State, the cost of the construction of roads, including Government subsidies, the construction and maintenance or n-.ain highways, railway construction, and the operation of harbor facilities, municipal transport, and road transport, both commercial and private. Already a considerable mass of detailed information and statistics bad been collected and compiled. “It seems plain that enormous development may be expected in the use of commercial motor vehicles, and it is felt by the committee that the proper time to initiate the- investigation of this branch of the. subject is while motor traffic is still in its infancy,” he said. “Statistical inquir.es are accordingly being addressed for this purpose to the owners of commercial motor vehicles. An eifort has been made to cause as little inconvenience to those concerned as possible, and I trust, in view of the importance of the subject, that information will he supplied readily, and in as much detail ns possible in tin* cireumstFnces. I wish again to make it clear that the Government has no intention of taking any drastic steps in connection with motor transport nor indeed does 'it intend trnsport, nor indeed does it intend to take any stops whatever :n -lie ’meantime. The objects of the inpiiry fi s to motor vehicles and the Subject of the whole of the committee's investigations is merely to collect data and reports.”—l*.A.