WARRANT OF FITNESS DATE TO STAND

Northern Advocate, 24 March 1937, Page 4

WARRANT OF FITNESS DATE TO STAND

Mr Semple Declines To Extend Time Limit (Per Press Association. Copyright.] , WELLINGTON, Tuesday. “I have received representation that the date by which motor, vehicles are required to carry warrants of fitness, March 31 next, should be extended to May 31,” said the Minister of Transport, the Hon. R. Semple, today. “I • have carefully considered the representations and have decided that the present date is to be adhered to for two main reasons. “Firstly, I ain anxious in the interests of public safety that all motor vehicles should be made mechanically safe as soon as possible. Secondly, last-minute psychology would apply, even if the date were postponed, with the result that garages would not be able to deal with the rush over the last few days. “Up to the present, over 600 garages have been approved for the issuing of warrants of fitness. Additional garages are being approved daily, so that motorists should experience no difficulty in having their vehicles inspected. Discretion Will Be Used. “Although every attempt will be made to see that motorists who do not have warrants of fitness by March 31 orocure them as soon as possible, the

enforcement of the scheme will be carried oht with discretion and commonsense, and no motorist will be prosecuted for, not having a warrant if he can show he has made a reasonable attempt to procure one. “As many people are now procuring rear red reflectors for bicycles, in order to comply with the requirements in the traffic regulations that all

bicycles must carry these reflectors after March 31, I want to emphasise that they should take care that the reflectors they buy are of a type that has been approved. “My attention has been drawn to cases where garages are requiring motorists to procure non- \ essential equipment or repairs before issuing warrants of fitness. I want to warn garage proprietors that 1 will not stand for anything in the way of exploitation. “I am having full inquiries made in all cases reported to, me, and if it is clear that exploitation is going on, I shall not hesitate to withdraw the approval of the garage concerned for the issue of warrants of fitness.”