ROAD SERVICES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22963, 15 February 1938, Page 15

ROAD SERVICES

Sir, —May I draiv the attention of the public to Court proceedings at Otaluthu, reported in the Herald issue of February 9. To the magistrate's remark that I "seem to be .1 persistent offender," I reply that the last time I was fined for overloading was about years ago, and the public do not know the circumstances. Now, to take a broader view. When will the public realise that contrary to declared policy, road operators are being forced off the road instead of being paid for their businesses. Traffic officers are merely "pointers" and the Courts the very efficient levers for this forcing, but what is the intention behind all this activity? Someone will say, "if no offence is committed there will bo no fine." But what is an offence? In this case inadvertent overloading of a nineton vehicle will cost me £ll, although I already pay £52 per year, per lorry for heavy traffic licence. Each lorry pays a total taxation of o<. or £SOO a year. I have also been fined large sums repeatedly for running unauthorised services. Let me now state my case. My licence allows three return trips per week on certain days. (I have been restricted to this, although I was operating in 1901 before the first Transport Act was passed, and other services in direct competition, not begun until some years later have received licences five times larger in scope, an instance of the farce and tragedy of transport control). Qn these days we cannot leave Auckland before 7 p.m. and the trip takes 6 hours. Therefore, any delay through mechanical or other causes, means finishing journey on the following day, this is an "offence" for which I have repeatedly been fined largo sums. The maximum penalty is I'oO. Unfortunately the public see little of transport behind the scenes. Rodney Gai.i,ichan.