REGISTRATION PLATES

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 4461, 24 October 1933, Page 3

REGISTRATION PLATES

COST TO MOTORISTS. "The North Island (N.Z.) M'otoi Union has," says the annual report of the Wellington Automobile Club, "taken up with the Government the matter of reduction in the price to motorists of the annual license plates. As members are aware, the registration and annual license fees in respect of all motor vehicles are paid to the Main Highways Account. The fees are collected by the Post and Telegraph Department, which receives an allowance of Is 6d for every transaction handled by it. Over a period of nine years the Department has received £102,0100 for doing this work. The amount of Is 6d per transaction was fixed as a reasonable allowance for the work involved, including the issue of plates. However the Postal Department over the same period of nine years has chai-ged motorists a price for motor plates which has returned the department a clear profit of £IOB,OOO. "Whereas the plates have cost the Department £89,000, the motorists have been charged £197,000 for them. The matter is one of considerable importance, and the executive will press for such a reduction as will bring the cost to the motorists down to the cost of manufacture of the plates. If the present position is allowed to continue it virtually amounts to the Postal Department taking upon itself the imposition of taxing- on the motorists."