MOTORS IN DOMINION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 7 January 1928, Page 12

MOTORS IN DOMINION.

LARGE NUMBER OF CARS. FEWER BUSES IN SERVICE. The latest return of motor-vehicle registration shows that tlie Dominion is saturated to a degree of one cair, commercial vehicle or motor-cycle for every .fight, Europeans. On October 31 last there' were 166,816 velioiles registered, of which more than one-quarter were owned within the Auckland RTovmee. The lon nd a ries of the North and South Auckland highway districts an area considerably less than that of the province—held' 38,167 vehicles at the end of October. In June, 1926, the register embraced 140,796 vehicles, eo that in 16 months there has been an increase of 18 per cent. Following are details of the registrations, for the. Dominion:

On June 30, 1925, there were only 71,403 ears registered, the increase to 02,813 in June' 1926. being at the rate of 1784 a month. The increase for the following 16 months, up to October 31 : ast, was 15,916, or an average of 995 a month. The increase of nearly 5400 in motor-trucks during 16 months was phenomenal, but passenger-carrying commercial vehicles were in a different position. The statistics (indicate that the omnibus boom has broken, the total number on the register last October being 1104, or 367 below the aggregate in June, 1926. ■ The position is even more, interesting, since only 917 of the registered buses carried licensee and current number plates. Auckland had the lion’s share of the 1104 omnibuses, with 322 located in garages within the North and South Auckland highways districts. The discrepancy between the registered vehicles and the number with 192728 >1 censes gives a good idea of the second-hand stock. The unlicensed vehicles include the large number of used ears, trucks and motor-cycles which are standing in dealers’ garages, a small number which are temporarily laid up, nul odd vehicles which have been abandoned and stripped. Following are details of the 17.387 registered vehicles which held no license 't~the end of October: Cars 7,370 Trucks 1,798 Buses Motor-cycles ... 7,485 Others 483 17^387

Other types .. 1,740 2,029 June 30, Oct. 31, 1926. 1927. Motor-ears. .. 92,813 108,729 M otor-trucks .. 15,885 21,272 Omnibuses 1.471 1,104 Motor-cycles .. 28,887 33,682 140,796 166,816