MOTOR LICENCES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23009, 9 April 1938, Page 18

MOTOR LICENCES

MANY NOT BENEWED LOSSES IN NINE YEARS v INCREASES IN TOTAL NUMBER Evidence of tlio groat advance in motor-car ownership in New Zealand is again expected to bo forthcoming next month, when from May 2 tho annual rolicensing of all motor vehicles -will begin. At the same time, however, it is thought that a further large number of vehicles will not bo reregistered, being written off instead for a number of reasons, including that of ecouomy and age.

Figures brought out by the Post and Telegraph Department show that in the nine years from 1929 to 1937 as many as 8-1,92(5 licences were cancelled. Tho registrations are held for two years if not made current. For that time thov are regarded as dormant, but if they are not revived within tho period they are then cancelled. Of the existing number of cancellations <10,914 were for motor-cars, 23,402 for commercial vehicles and 30,610 for motor-cycles. The figures for the nine years were:—l 929, (3762: 1930, 8338; 1931, 12,785; 1932, 12,872; 1933, 14,162; 1934, 12,331; 1935, 9898; 1936, 8466; 1937, 9312. In addition several thousand registrations have been cancelled by the owners because their vehicles had become useless or had been destroyed by accident. Tho accessions to the number of licences have boon, however, overwhelmingly larger than the losses, with the exceptioij of motor-cycles, lu 1929 registrations for these amounted to 30,791, but they have since decreased by 6590 to 24,201.