HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 237, 5 September 1945, Page 4

HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES

REALLOCATION SOUGHT.

COUNTIES OPPOSE CHANGE

An endeavour by the Palmerston North City Council to have the present metnod oi allocating heavy traffic tees in the No 9 Highways district altered was strongly opposed by the counties in the district at a conference held yesterday and which terminated without a motion being put to the meeting. Mr W. it. Hopcrott (chairman ot the Kairanga County Council) presided, ana representatives were present irom the Palmerston North City Council, the Kairanga, Oroua, Pohangina, Ki'witea. Manawatu, and Horowhenua County Councils, and the boroughs of Feilding, Levin, Foxton, Otaki and Shannon.

'the allocation of the fees is onethird to the cities and boroughs and two-thirds to the counties, 5 per cent, beiiur allowed the collecting local body for administration fees, and this was fixed by Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in 192(5, the basis beinii the mean between the length of roads and the capital value of the local body area. Mr Hopcrott explained that the conference had been called as the outcome of a letter from the City Council asking the conference ' to consider the question of the allocation of the fees. Mr Mansion! said the City Council felt that the .system had not been working as originally intended. It would be almost a miracle to tiui';4

that an allocation made in 1926, wii ; all the changing conditions sinco, would now be a fair basis. There had been vast changes, and what was a fair allocation then might not be fair today. His council felt that an increase should be 'granted it. The average allocation over the Dominion worked out at 47. S per cent, for the cities and 52.2 for the counties. His council felt that it should be brought in line with the Dominion figure. It .did not think it was asking for anything unreasonable. The council paid about £570 in fees on its buses and the city received only £l2O in the allocation, which it did not consider fair.. When the jrreat volume of traffic in the cities and boroughs was taken into account, the . council considered it was entitled to a greater proportion. CITY'S CLAIM SUPPORTED.

Mr C. F. Atmore (Otaki) said the allocation would have been better if based on the use of roads and the amount of traffic they carried. At the time'the'allocation was made the counties controlled all the roads, but since then the main highways had been taken over and the counties still received their two-thirds, mid surely there was ground for a itvision. In recent years there had been greater concentration of traffic in the cities and towns. In Palmerston North there must be a very considerable volume of "traffic coming into the city from farms, and the same applied to a lesser degree in Feilding, Levin and Otaki.

Mr C. H. Tate (Feilding) said that, when tackling the question, they could forget the statistics and figures and remember the basis and the reasons for the imposition of the fees, which were definitely designed for the upkeep of roads and streets. The question of concentration of traffic would overcome the contention of length of roads. Teliere were many buses and lorries in the towns which never saw a country road. In the light of the present trend of traffic, he hoped the counties would agree to an increase. Mr 11. Craig (Manawatu County) said he thought the niatter should be referred back to the counties for further discussion. His county not in favour of an increase to the cities, but was in favour of a decrease. ; Mr J. Williamson (Kiwitea County) said they had no figures to work upon and could not come to any decision at the conference. He added that, roughly, the length in the country was nine times greater than in the city. The amount of fees collected was not applicable. Lorries registered in the cities and towns went out into the country for their work. There were no State highways in his county and the subsidy was the same as it was in 1926. They had many lorries which operated entirely in the country and never -went near the cities or towns, and he thought that they inoro' than equalised the city buses.

Mr G. Tremaine said that the City Council would be well satisfied if it received a refund for all its own vehicles. Local authorities, ho felt sure, would appreciate this. Mr A. B. Shannon (Oroua County) said the 4? per cent, had little bearing- on the matter as far as the counties in this area were concerned. He agreed with Mr Williamson's remarks about the lorries on country roads. Mr Craig said definitely that the Manawatu County Council would not agree to any increase. Mr N". Moar (Pohangina County) moved that the allocation be 75 per cent, to the counties and 25 to the cities and boroughs. Mr Tremaine remarked that this was farcical. He asked those present to consider the matter, in a reasonable way. After further discussion, Mr liopcroft said ho could speak on behalf of the counties and say that they would not agree to an increase in the allocation to 47.3 per cent. He would prefer to have thn whole matter referred to the Minister of Transport. Mr Mansford: Now we know where we are. Mr Mansford added that he was sorry the conference had proved abortive, and he felt the matter had'been looked at from the wrong point of view. _ It appeared as if one side feared that it was giving something away. . Mr J. T. Bovis (Shannon) moved that the allocation remain as at present and this was seconded by Mr W. McKay (Pohangina), with the addition that the matter be reviewed at the end of two years. Messrs Tate, Tremaine, Mansford, and Atrnore said the motion was out of order and should not be put, and the mattei was being further discussed when Mr W. Trueman (Foxton) moved that th» conference terminate. This was seconded by Mr Craig and carried.