MOTOR OWNERSHIP

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 200, 24 July 1937, Page 7

MOTOR OWNERSHIP

NEARLY DOUBLED IN 12 YEARS. LAST RE-LICENSING FIGURES. The results of the annual re-licens-ing of motor vehicles have been made available by the Transport Division of the Post Office which is able to show the distribution of motor vehicles throughout the Dominion and the further development in motor ownership. The grand total of vehicles licensed as at June 30, 1937, was 209,494, an increase of 21,912 on the corresponding figure for last year, representing a rise of 11.68 per cent. The greatest advance has been in cars which have increased by 18.448 or 14.15 per cent. Commercial vehicles licensed are 3833 in excess of the previous year’s total, an increase of 8.87 p.c., while motorcycles show a decrease of 369 or 2.65 per cent. The distribution of licenses in tho various postal districts of the Dominion is as follows, the increase being shown in parentheses : Auckland. —Cars, 28,660 (4330); trucks, 6758 (49); others, 1918 (445); cycles, 3212 (80). Thames. —Cars, 5555 (633); trucks, 1537 (47); others, 309 (108); cycles, 444 (dec. 2). Hamilton.—Cars, 13,064 (1704); trucks, 3561 (51); others, 1003 (269); cycles, 1025 (dec. 77). Gisborne. —Cars, 3613 (362); trucks, 823 (76;; others, 314 (97); cycles, 360 (43). Napier.—Cars, 7392 (906); trucks, 2063 (52); others, 588 (186); ' cycles, 438 (dec. 26). New Plymouth.—Cars, 8284 (769); trucks, 2057 (72); others, 347 (79); cycles, 808 (dec. 88). AVanganui.—Cars, 5857 (688); trucks, 1418 (62); others, 343 (82); cycles, 499 (dec. 16). Palmerston North. —Cars. 952 1 (1019); trucks, 2031 (64); others, 533 j (114); cycles, 641 (9). Wellington. —Cars, 17,318 (2644); | trucks, 3833 (97); others, 1423 (392); cycles, 1344 (dec. 41). Blenheim. —Cars, 1645 (203); trucks, 471 (32); others, 145 (37); cycles, 178 (dec. 19). Nelson.—Cars, 3054 (273); .trucks. 878 (15); others, 257. (51); cycles, 282 (dec. 73). ", Westport. —Cars, 554 (86); trucks. 214 (dec. 5); others, 83. (25) ; cycles, 72 (7). , f Greymoutb.—Cars, 1710 (1"61; trucks, 534 (dec. 4); others, 244 (06); cycles. 197 (dec. 17). Christchurch. —Cars. 19,18,7 ." (2353); .trucks, 4082 (193); others, 1671 (420); cycles, 2074 (35). ■ Timaru. —Cars, 4806 (468); trucks, 1146 (101)‘, others, 388 (69); cycles, 401 (dec. 80). Oamaru. —Cars, 2006 C 230); trucks, 447 (32); others, 131 (dec. 2); cycles, 144 (dec. 15). Dunedin.—Cars, 9287 (915), trucks, 2280 (55): others, 755 (193); cycles, 963 (dec. 25b Invercargill.—Cars. 7348 (6831; trucks, 1847 (51): others, 560 (102); cycles, 493 (dec. 64). ' The classification “Other Vehicles includes contract motor vehicles, taxis, rental and private hire cais, service cars. Government vehicles, exempted vehicles and trailers. How rapidly motor ownership has developed in the Dominion can he seen from a comparison of the latest figures with the registrations of June 30 1925. which totalled 106 449. showing that in the intervening period the figures have almost doubled. The registration process this . year went through smoothly notwithstanding that about, three-quarers of the work was handled during the final week. There were 354 deputy-registrars dealing with licenses, and in addition 560 postmasters collected fees and foriwafided .the forms to the nearest de-puty-registrar for final attention.