MOTORS IN DOMINION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19833, 31 December 1927, Page 10

MOTORS IN DOMINION.

LARGE NUMBER OF CARS. FEWER BUSES IN SERVICE. The latest return of motor-vehicle registrations shows that the Dominion is saturated to a degree of one car, commercial vehicle or motor-cycle for every eight Europeans. On October 31 last there were 166,816 vehicles registered, of which more than one-quarter were owned within the Auckland Province. The boundaries of the North and South Auckland highway districts—an area considerably less than that of the province--held 38,167 vehicles at the end of October. In June, 1926, the register embraced 140,796 vehicles, so that in 16 months there has been an increase of 18 per cent. Following are details of the registrations for the Do-

On June 30, 1925, there were only 71,403 cars registered, the increase to 92,813 in June, 1926, being at the rate of 1784 a month. The increase for the following 16 months, up to October 31 last, was 15,916, or an average of 995 a month. The increase of nearly 5400 in motor-trucks during 16 months was phenomenal, but passenger-carrying commercial vehicles were in a different position. The statistics indicate that the omnibus boom has broken, the total number on the register last October being 1104, or 367 below the aggregate in June, 1926. The position is even more interesting sinco only 917 of the registered buses carried licences and current number plates. Auckland had the lion's share of tho 1104 omnibuses, with 322 located in garages within the North and South Auckland highway districts. The discrepancy between the registered vehicles and ths number with 1927-28 licences gives a good idea of the secondhand stock. The unlicensed vehicles include the large number of used cars, trucks and motor-cycles which are standing in dealers' garages, % small number which are temporarily laid up, and odd vehicles which ha,ve been abandoned and are details of the 17,387 registered vehicles which held no licence at the end of October:— Cars .. . > . • Trucks .. .. v* Buses .. .. '»• 167 Motor-cycles . . 7,(185 Others . . • « . V 483 , 17,387

minion:—t Juno 30, October 31, 1926. 1927. Motor-cara , 92,813 108,729 Motor-trucka . , 15,885 21,272" Omnibusea 1,471 1,104 Motor-cycles . . 28,887 33,682 'Other types . 1,740 2,029 140,796 166,816