MOTOR TRANSPORT

Northland Age, Volume II, Issue 36, 10 September 1930, Page 4

MOTOR TRANSPORT

The following information has been submitted to me by Mr. McCarthy, Secretary, Mangonu Branch Auckland Provincia Commercial Vehicle Owners’ Association, for publication. In publishing these figures I wish to state that they are those of MrMcCarthy, who states that he will guarantee their authenticity. The following figures go to show the expenses incurred per annum by the owner of a motor lorry:

Registration £1 00 Annual License 200 Third party risk 1 10 0 Drivers license 5 0 Number plates 2 6 Heavy traffic 13 12 0 Insurance 15 18 0 County extra tax for sth Class Roads 12 0 0 Customs duties £IOO over a period of 5 years 20 0 0 Tyre tax about 20 0 0 Benzine tax 50 0 0 Tax on oil 2 0 0 138 7 6 Burdened with these heavy expenses, motor lorrv owners in this county appear to have 50 miles only of roads on which they may carry up to 4 tons; these are classified 4th class roads There are some 362 miles of roads in the county, thus it may be concluded that 312 miles must be sth class roads, the load capacity on which is 2 l / 2 tons. These loads include the weight of the lorry. It is [further stated that a large percentage of these roads are metalled roads and may be classed as all weather roads, capable of carrying 4 tons on four pneumatic tyred vehicles all the year round.

From the months of November to March inclusive, lorry owners may travel on these roads with loads in excess of that for which the road is classified, provided they pay an extra tax imposed by local legislation.

£5 for 3 tons for 5 months £7 ios „3% „ „ „ „

<£io „ 4 „ „ „ The annual tax throughout New Zealand for carrying 4 tons is £l3 I2s. The tax imposed by local authorities spread over a similar period would be £24.

The payment of this local tax renders the lorry owner immune from prosecution for overloading on a fifth class road. The owner who refuses to pay this tax and carries the same load as he who pays it, is prosecuted, but prosecuted, not for breaking the law, but for refusing to pay a tax which entitles him to break the law. It is stated that for the number of sth class roads in any county in New Zealand, this county holds the record. This statement, in view of the fact that this county is solely dependable on motor transport and in view of the absence of railways in the county, is truly alarming. What appears to be truly a Gilbertian situation is that which concerns the Kai-taia-Ahipara road. Reference was made in a report appearing in our last issue concerning motor lorry traffic on this road, but the humour goes further.

A tourist party travelling per motor coach, anxious to view the wild beauty of our Ninety Mile Beach, would not be able to complete their journey in the coach on a perfectly good road, but would have to get out and walk the remaining I Y 2 miles. Mr. McCarthy suggests that, as few if any, motor coach weighs less than 3 tons, which is Yz ton more than is allowed on this road, then the coach too would have to be left behind. To those who have much credit due to them for their untiring efforts in boosting up this Winterless North ot ours, this news must be most discouraging.

With the information supplied by Mr. McCarthy before us, it must be clear to all that there is some justification in the objections voiced by those to whom fair classification of roads means a fair living.