RURAL ROADS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 196, 17 July 1930, Page 7

RURAL ROADS.

NECESSITY FOR CLASSIFICATION STATEAIENT BY AIINISTER. (By Telegraph—Special to Standard). WELLINGTON, July 17. The necessity for a comprehensive and reasonable classification of the rural roads of New Zealand was emphasised by Hon. W. B. Taverner, Minister of Transport, in an interview with the “Standard’s” correspondent to-day in view of the fact, established as a result of a special investigation, that tho country’s annual road bill is between £7,000,000 and £8,000,000.

Mr Taverner expressed the opinion that such a classification would have the effect of reducing the maintenance and construction costs and at the same time making ample provision for all reasonable traffic requirements. “I have communicated with about forty of the county councils in the South Island, seeking their co-operation in securing a uniform road classification, and urging that prompt action bo taken where it may be possible to do so,” he said. “Of over 20,000 miles of rural roads in the South Island more than 18,000 miles are either unclassified or classified as first-class; that is that over 90 per cent, of the roads are open for gross loads upto ten tons. When it is remembered that of 8200 motor trucks registered in the South Island only 147, or 1.8 per cent., are registered for this gross load, it will be seen how much in excess of the traffic requirements the road facilities are. If this state of affairs is allowed to continue it is only reasonable to assume that it will engender heavier and heavier traffic, and with heavier traffic units the maintenance and construction costs immediately show a proportionate rise. The county ratepayer, the motorist and the general taxpayer are all being subjected to an ever increasing burden in the form of increased rates, the petrol tax, heavy traffic fees and increased taxes to meet the increasing cost of road maintenance and construction, and it is essential that every reasonable and economic effort be made to keep the road maintenance and construction .costs as low as possible. .The classification of the roads is considered under the three following heads: —(1) Loads road capable of carrying; (2) transport requirements of areas served by road; and (3) other transport facilities available, such as railways, etc.”