MOTOR ROADS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19476, 11 May 1925, Page 14

MOTOR ROADS.

INCREASED USE IN ENGLAND. The incieascd use of motor road transport in England, both for private and commercial purposes, is well illustrated by tho. figures is»ucd by the Ministry of Transpoit relating to the number of licenses current on November 30, 1921, as compared with previous years In 1921 (11 months) the total estimated number of motor vehicles to which licenses referred was 873.665. For the 12 months ended November 30. 1922, the figure rose to 933,308; in 1923, the million mark was passed—l,o33.3ll —and the latest return for the year ended November 30, 1921, is 1,269,605, or. excluding tram ears and trade licenses, roughly 1,212,000. This total includes 171.000 cars taxed on horse power as against 382,000 in 1923; 111 .000 cvclea compared with 391,000; and 210,000 commercial goods vehicles, the previous total being 181,000; the relative fimires of motor hackneys are 81,000 mid 78,000. The highways of Great Hritain as a whole have, been much improved during tho past year, and serious efforts have been made to catch up in (be vehicle versus road race. But a good deal of work has still t-o be done in improving the national road and traffic systems. Motors of most types are given increased Sneed capacities each year, and become more numerous. The road engineer has a, hard problem to solve with the curves of speed and tonnage ever rising'. Since monev is an essential to reconstruction it is sutisfnctorv to note the respective t-tel cross r»eein*s of the tax on motor vehicles, collected in Great Britain, es returned bv the local authorities for the 11 months of 1921,. and the 12 months of jqoy and 'W These are **l.73X 832, £11,013,861, £12,757,632, and £11,783,715.