PUBLIC BODY TRANSPORT

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 20 January 1930, Page 4

PUBLIC BODY TRANSPORT

RISKS OF DAMAGE HAWERA COUNTY DECISION At the monthly meeting of the Hawera County Council on Saturday, the question (>f risk tp their transport vehicles was considered as the outcome of a letter from Messrs. Welsh McCarthy, Beechey and Houston. The writers advised that, in connection with the case of police v. Rose, in which defendant was fined for attempting to cross the railway line ®in a lorry, the sergeant of police advised that the brakes of the lorry had been tested and found to be in order. The chairman referred to the facts of the accident and said that if the Railway Department sued the county, the cost would be very considerable. The question raised the whole matter of cover of the transport vehicles owned by the council. This was, he said, the second accident and there had been quite a serious loss.

The clerk, he said, received details of cost of the cover from the insurance companies and the position was that, for a premium of £BO, they could cover alt their motor vehicles. With the increase of traffic and the number of poor drivers, the county should not take the risk themselves.

Cr. Washer said he was pleased that the question had been brought up, for he had always been in favour of securing cover. The risk taken had “come home to roost” and it would be serious if the railways sued the county.

The clerk advised that, in the event of there being no accident during any year, there would be a, reduction of ten per cent, on the premium. It was agreed that a policy be taken out to cover all the council’s transport, the county taking the first £lO of risk.