HEAVY MOTOR TRAFFIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18896, 19 December 1924, Page 12

HEAVY MOTOR TRAFFIC.

COUNCIL RAISES FEES.

PASSENGER BUS DESIGN.

QUESTION OF ALTERATIONS.

SPEED LIMIT ALTERED.

'A number of important amendments •were made by the City Council last evening in the motor by-law that came before it for confirmation. A lengthy discussion took placo in committee. Lpon the motion of the Mayor, Sir James Guneon, the scale of fees for heavy vehicles •was increased and the maximum of £75 made to apply to all vehicles, the unladen weight of which exceeds four tons. Following is the scale adopted, the original figures being given in parentheses—the weight in cach case is that of the unladen vehicle: —

Up to 30cwt., £12 (no alteration); 2 tons, (£18) ; 3 tons. J. 37 10s ; 4 tons, £60 (£36); 5 tons, £75 (£48); 6 tons, £75 (£6O) ; over 6 tons, £7a (£75). Statute law limits tho fees to a maximum of £75.

When tho by-law was reported from j committee Mr. J. B. Paterson urged an all-round reduction of 20 per cent., and I to test this view moved that the 2 ton , fee of £25 be reduced to £20. The amend- j ment was lost by 10 to 7, and the by- | law was therefore adopted and will come \ into force on January 1. Bus Owners' Deputation. Before the by-law was considered a deputation from the Auckland Omnibus Proprietors' Association waited on the council, their spokesman being Mr. V. R. Meredith. Ho explained that the bus j proprietors recognised tho need for tho by-law and had come not to oppose but in a spirit, of helpfulness. A number of suggestions were made in regard to the clauses relating to the construction of omnibuses it being urged that where vehicles came within a reasonable degree of conformity with the by-law's requiraments, the owners should not be required to make alterations which might be costly for no material gain. Among the matters referred to were the requirements that the distance from floor to roof should be 6ft.. and that the passageway should bo 18in. wide. It was asked that where vehicles were open a rear door should not be insisted upon. It was agreed that the scale of fees were reasonable but that in view of tho charge, an omnibus license of £10 should not be charged in addition. License Fee Reduced. The council reduced.the license feo from £10 to £2, but made no alterations in the clauses relating to construction. It, however, enacted the following proviso to ensure that tho by-law should not operate harshly:— " Provided that in the caso of omnibuses licensed by tho Auckland City Council before December 18. 1924, a strict compliance with the conditions of this section shall not be required if the council is satisfied that any such omnibus is substantially in a fit and proper condition and 6afe and convenient for public use." The Mayor stated that some of tho huses were excellent and there was no desire to harass the owners if the vehicles wore in general conformity with the regulations, although not in every particular. There were others quite unfitted for passenger traffic. An important alteration was made in tho clauses relating to weights and speed. The clause "limiting the load on any axle to 8 tons in all or 8001b. per inch width of tyre in contact with the street surface," was struck out, and in its placo was inserted one limiting the loaded weight to 10 tons.

The next clause was also amendable. It read: "No motor vehicle shall be run at a greater speed than 12 miles an hour if the' vehicle and load exceeds 5 tons total weight, except in the case of pneu-matic-tyred vehicles, when the speed shall not exceed 15 miles."

Instead c>f this clause tho following was adopted: "No moto_r vehicle shall be run at a greater speed than 20 miles where the weight of the vehicle with the load exceeds three tons."