TIGHTENING CONTROL

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12074, 27 February 1925, Page 12

TIGHTENING CONTROL

REGULATIONS ISSUER FOR DOMINION MOTOR DRIVERS' LICENSES.

APRIL Ist THE LAST DAY. Regulations under the Motor Vehicles Act of last year, governing the issue of drivers’ licenses, were contained in a supplement to the “New Zealand Gazette” circulated yesterday morning. The regulations, which come into force immediately, make it incumbent on the part of a motor-driver to obtain a license before April Ist next. A person without a license driving a motor vehicle after that date will be liable to a penalty of £lO. The regulations may be summarised as follows: Every license issued under the regulations prior to the first day of April next shall continue in force until the thirty-first of March, 1926. A motor-driver’s license issued under the regulations shall not be deemed to authorise the holder thereof, if under the age of eighteen years, to drive a public motor-car or a motor-omnibus as defined by the Motor Vehicles Act. HOW APPLICATIONS 'fO BE MADE. - Every application for a motordriver’s license, by the owner of a motor vehicle in respect of that vehicle or of vehicles of that class, shall be made to the local authority in whose district the garage of the motor vehicle is situated. Where application for a motordriver’s license is made by a person not being the owner of a motor vehicle, such application shall be made to the local authority in whose district the applicant is resident when the application is made (whether or not the applicant is permanently resident in that district). The validity of a motor-driver’s license purporting to be issued under the regulations shall not be affected by reason merely of the fact that it is not issued by the appropriate local authority in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this clause, if it is issued by a local authority competent to issue motor-drivers’ licenses. Any local authority competent to issue motor-drivers’ licenses under the Act and the regulations, may, on such terms as may be mutually agreed on, enter into an arrangement with any other competent local authority for the issue of motor-drivers’ licenses by such” last-mentioned local authority, in lieu of by the first-mentioned local authority. Any arrangement entered into pursuant to this clause may make provision for the apportionment of license fees. “WITHOUT FURTHER EXAMINATION.” Where application for a motordriver’s license is made by a person being the holder of a license to drive a motor vehicle issued by any local authority pursuant to any by-laws in that behalf m force at the date of these regulations, .a license under the regulations may be issued to the applicaift without further examination, if the local authority to_, which the application is made is satisfied as to the applicant’s ability to drive a motor vehicle. On the expiry of a motor-driver’s license. issued under the regulations, a new license may, if the local authority thinks fit, be issued 'to the holder thereof, without further examination or other evidence as to his ability to drive a motor vehicle. TEST OF ABILITY TO DRIVE. Where application for a motordriver’s license under the regulations is made by a person other than a licensed driver, the local authority shall cause the applicant to undergo such test as it thinks sufficient of his ability to drive a motor vehicle, and to conform to the requirements of any regulations or bylaws affecting motor traffic; and may, if in the interests of public safety it thinks it necessary so to do, require any applicant, being a licensed driver, to undergo such a test; provided that where application for a license under the regulations is made at any time before the first day of April, 1925, by a person not being the holder of a license issued by a local authority pursuant to its by-laws, the local: authority may djppense with an examination under this clause if it is satisfied that the applicant has, for a period of not less than three months, been accustomed to drive a motor vehicle, and is fully competent to drive such motor vehicle. Every application to drive a motor vehicle and every license to drive a motor vehicle shall be in the form set out in the schedules attached to the regulations. * A motor driver’s license issued under the regulations may airply in respect of one or more specified classes of motor vehicles, but shall not authorise the holdc-r thereof to drive any motor tehicle of a class not specified in the license. RECORD TO BE KEPT. Every local authority shall keep a record of all motor drivers’ licenses issued by it pursuant to these regulations, showing with respect to each 6uch license the following particulars: —(a) The name, address, and occupation of the licensee; (b) the date of issue of the license; (e) the name of the examiner (if any) by whom the issue of : the license was recommended; (d) par- ! ticulars as to any cancellation, suspension, endorsement, or renewal of the license; and (e) any other relevant particulars. The powers and duties conferred or imposed by the regulations on any local authority shall be deemed to be duly exercised and performed if exercised or performed by any officer of that local authority, or by any other person specially authorised in that behalf by the local authority.

MINISTER’S COMMENTS VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS BY LOCAL BODIES. EMBODIED IN REGULATIONS. Commenting on the new regulations, the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. R. F. Bollard) said that before the regulations were finally approved a copy was sent to local bodies and motor unions for their consideration. As a result of that action, he had received from tlie local bodies some very valuable suggestions nearly all of which had been embodied in the regulations. “I appreciate,” said Mr Bollard to a “Times” representative yesterday, “the thorough consideration ’ given to the draft regulations by the bodies to whom I sent them for review. Their assistance has enabled the Department of Internal Affairs to make the registrations as complete as I think it pus-

sihle to make them, which will certainly tend to their easy working.” The Minister added that the preparation of the balance of the regulations under the Act was nearing completion, and local bodies would Be consulted about them before they are issued. LETTER TO LICENSING AUTHORITIES. “The following circular letter has been forwarded by the Minister to the licensing authorities: “Referring to.my letter of the 14th ultimo, forwarding for the information and comments of local authorities a copy of draft regulations providing for the issue of licenses to drivers of motor vehicles, I have now to inform you that, as a result of the sug gestions made, certain alterations have been made in the regulations in question, among others, by striking out the requirement for a recommendation by a licensed driver, and an alteration of the form of license in order to provide for different kinds of motor vehicles, it being realised that a person qualified to drive one kind of motor vehicle was not necessarily qualified to drive another kind. “A copy of a ‘Supplementary Gazette’ containing the regulations _is enclosed herewith, and ' further copies mav bo obtained, if desired, on application to the department. “It will be necessary for each local authority concerned to make its own arrangements for the printing of the forms referred to in the schedule to the regulations. “Your attention is also drawn to the provisions of regulation 10, reauirmg a local authority to keep a record, with the particulars indicated in that regulation. of all motor-drivers’ licenses issued by such authority. “I desire, in conclusion, to point out that it is essential that all persons appointed as examiners of applicants for motor-drivers’ licenses should be fully qualified for the position. If in any case a local authority' cannot command the services of a competent examiner, it should make arrangements with another local authority for the examination of applicants from its district (see regulation 5 (1)