ROAD CLASSIFICATION

Hawera Star, Volume L, 28 November 1930, Page 5

ROAD CLASSIFICATION

DEPARTMENTAL SUGGESTION LIMITING LORRY LOADS APPROVED BY LOCAL BODIES. A very important matter was before the meeting of the Taranaki Local Bodies at Bit-ham on Wednesday when the classification of roads in the No. 7 Highway District was the subject of a lengthy and informative paper read by Mr G. L. Lauren son, of Transport Department, in the unavoidable absence of the Commissioner, Mr J. S. Hunter. After a short discussion the meeting resolved to recommend to their councils and boards to classify the roads to a limit of eight tons. Mr Laurenson explained that the term second class roads d/d not signify a grade of construction, but referred to the weight tliev- were intended to carry. The application of a second system of road classification in New Zealand was, said Mr Laurenson, of particular interest to the rural areas, where the population was sparse, and where the reading of the older countries could not be adopted. Classification dealt- with the.loads the road was capable of carrying,' the requirements for the future in the area, and 1 other transport facilities available. No. 7 District had 417 miles of bitumen roads, 959 gravel or metal, and 587 unsurfaced..

The annual charge for interest and sinking fund on gravel road capable of carrying a igross load of 10 tons on two axled vehicles was £407 per mile and for a gross load of 8 tons the charge was £336 per mile. The IQ ton gross weight lorry caused four times as. much damage to the roads a® the 24 ton lorry and 25 per cent, more than the eight ton lorry. DISTRICT EXPENDITURE. The total maintenance expenditure in the district was £142,400 for 192930 and it had 1 been gradually expanding each year, while there lias been an ever-increasing loss on the railways. Classification would result in a reduction of the road bill and of the railway loss and would result in reduced l taxes. During the past two years there had been a reduction in the registrations of heavy motor trucks and the tendency was evidently towards the use of lighter trucks.

Comprehensive figures were given showing the growth of general and special rates in the District No. 7 and the point was stressed that it was to arrest this large increase that classification was recommended. The figures given revealed a. serious position, the total loss being more than the total expenditure by the counties. Road and rail, said the speaker, in competition from the point of road classification, resulted as follows: (a) To the extent that they were mutually advantageous; (b) to the extent that they were competitive, they resulted in higher transport costs, not as direct freight charges, but by higher special motor taxation and general rates; (c) to the extent that roads carried freights which could be handled' by the railways, but were hauled by motors, there was duplication of services where one would" suffice; (d) this duplication increased production costs and it was the experience of other countries that as motor transport developed, the range of commodities handled and the length of routes tended to expand and it was certain that potential competition was more important, particularly where reading materials were relatively cheap and formation costs low. From tables that were given it was shown that the average rates of the counties in No. 7 District had increased from £5.78 in 1914 to £8.04 in 1929, per £IOOO of capital value, an increase 1 of 39 per cent. Classification was. suggested" to stop this increase. Surplus transport facilities would result in excessive overhead charges. A statement was given setting out the products requiring to be transported in the district, from farm s to nearest ports, totalling 44,142 tons, in addition to considerable quantity of stock sent to freezing works, the gross total reaching 59,703 tons. This was for export or lor consumption in the centres ■or for further distribution in the Dominion.

The inward trade from abroad was not so regular as the outward and resulted in an ill balanced business from a transport point of view. Approximately 160, I GOO tons of commodities required transporation—manures, coal and general merchandise—and in addition, there was a constant stream of freights between the larger towns. The net result was a lot of “empties”, haulage. Interesting figures were also given showing details of railways' losses in the district, harbour board' statistics, and the approximate costs of surfaces 18ft wide required for roads of various classes in the Dominion. Mr Laurens on referred to the taffic census' taken biennially in Britain and the varying in classification as traffic increased.

He showed how as soon as motor traffic liecame continuous, the roads needed widening and improwing and the status of the road was raised. In America, lie said, the roads were graded according to volume of traffic and gross axle loads: A, 11.3 tons; B, 9.3 tons; C, 7.5 tons; and D. 5.7 tons. In the Dominion roads were classified into five grades, according to- weight of vehicle only and not to density of traffic. The Highways Board, however, set standards based on density of | traffic. In the district round Auckland, 14 miles; north and 21 miles south, 273 trucks of eight tons and over .were operating, but-observation showed that there was a trend towards smaller and faster vehicles and the increasing use of pneumatic tyres. By classification very large sums could be saved annually, over-designing for light traffic being no more economical than underdesigning for heavy traffic routes.

The sub-formation of roads was an important point and differences'in this meant that roads of . similar surface type varied in carrying capacity. In this district it would cost about- £400,000 more to make provision for the teuton trucks on two axles than for similar trucks of eight- tons gross load. If the large lorries were considered necessary, a three-axled lorry would meet- the ease without extra cost in construction of roads. Tar-sealing, .said Mr Laurens-on, on eight inches of gravel or metal on a clay foundation would not carry 10-ton lorries with two axles, travelling at 12 miles per hour and on solid tyres. .Traffic- of that kind would speedily destroy the road surfaces, whereas with smaller lorries the roads would last many years.

Wairarapa was classified second 1 and Waikato third grade. This had saved ratepayers many thousands of pounds and any scheme of improvement should he carefully weighed and considered where high grade roads and expensive surfaces were necessary.

Mr Murdoch said that the classifica-

I tioii of roads did away with the need iof v. by-law. , _ Mr Laurenson said’ the object of the scheme was to prevent more very heavy motor trucks coming on to the roads. Mr Oorkili said that .Inglewood had spent a lot of money in making its roads and coukl not afford to do more. Concrete road’s were needed for 10-ton trucks. The chairman (Mr J. S. Gonnett) said the big truck was -practically eliminated and now it was mostly 4-ton trucks on twin rubber tyres that were used and these were less detrimental to the roads. This meant a distribution of the load over about twelve inches. Mr Laurenson remarked that there was provision for councils to issue permits to heavier trucks if they were proved necessary, but a speed limit of 12 miles was specified. Mr J. Brown said the aim' of the scheme seemed to be to support the railways. Mr Oorlsill: ‘ ‘To save the ratepayers.” Mr Laurenson said that the district’s share of the railways’ deficit was £69,000, and in addition there was .the loss oil branch lines. A hearty vote of thanks was, passed to Mr Laurenson for the interesting and instructive paper, which gave a wealth of information on the subject of classification.