Whangarei Traffic Breaches

Northern Advocate, 29 June 1943, Page 2

Whangarei Traffic Breaches

Charged with operating a motor lorry in such a mechanical condition as' to be liable to cause injury to any person, James Ace was fined £2/10/- and costs at yesterday’s sitting of the Magistrate’s Court.

Mr. C. C. Davenport, Senior Inspector, Transport Department, said that, when he inspected the vehicle in Hannah Street he found the steering gear in a definitely dangerous condition. A complete overhaul of the vehicle had since been carried cut, said the inspector. Emergency Doer E. V. Ralls, Ltd., was charged with operating a vehicle loaded in such a manner as to cause an obstruction to the emergency door. In convicting and imposing a fine of £1 and costs, the magistrate said it was intended as a warning that the regulations are to be observed. He did not regard the obstruction as serious, or that it was not possible to reach the emergency door. The mischief the regulations sought to guard against was the admission to the dcor from the inside. The real question was whether in point of fact anything was carried to cause an obstruction to the emergency door, and he thought there was. There was a possibility of a passenger tripping in the dark or otherwise in making for the emergency door.

Mr. C. C. Davenport, Senior Inspector for the Transport Department, gave evidence as to the loading of the vehicle when inspected by him shortly before leaving the depot in Rathbone Street. This included three pieces of timber on the alleyway floor leading to the emergency doors, and also a pulley wheel. For Ralls, Ltd., Mr. L. A. Johnson called evidence to show that the vehicle was licensed to carry passengers and goods, and that it had two sets of emergency doors, as against one provided by the regulations. The pulle-" wheel was taken from the vehicle before it left the depot. He contended the regulations provided for a certain amount of obstruction so long as such could be easily removed. There was no difficulty in getting out of the vehicle through the emergency doors had an emergency occurred. At 50 M.P.H. A fine of £3 and costs was imposed on Angus Archibald Firfiayson for driving a motor car at a speed exceeding 40 m.p.h. Senior-Inspector C. C. Davenport, for the Transport Department, said he overtook Finlayson, whose speed was over 50 m.p.h. •, Mr. D. L. Ross, for Finlayson, said his client was on the way home and it appeared ~he was not watching the speedometer.