MOTOR LORRIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19759, 9 April 1926, Page 12

MOTOR LORRIES.

NEW REGULATIONS. PROVISION REGARDING TYRES. . CERTAIN types prohibited Amended regulations dealing with motor lorries have (the Wellington Post reports' been gazetted. The new provisions came into operation on Apiil 1. It is provided that ro person shall operate any six-wheeled motor lorry if the weight of its load exceeds nine tons, or if the combined weight of the vehicle and load ex cceds lj tons. A “six wheeled main lorry’’ shall mean not only a lorry so designed that the weight of the load is distributed between the middle pair of wheels and the rear pair of wheels, but also a lorry which, though originally four-wheeled, has been adapted to secure the better distribution of the load by means of a combination body and trailer with two wheels added TYRE WIDTH. In regard to tyres, the amending regula tions contain the following new definitions of “width" : " 'Width' of a tyre in any case in winch such tyre is pneumatic or is otherwise made wholly or principally of a soft or elastic material such as rubier, and is held in a metal rim (whether the rim is detachable or part of the wheel) means the distance measured across the tyre, parallel to the axis of the wheel at the place nearest the top of the metal rim where the tv re makes contact with the nm. “ 'Width of a tyre in any case in which such tyre is made wholly or principally of a soft or elastic, material such as rubber and is immovably affixed to a metallic base means the greatest distance that can be measured across the, tyre parallel to the axis of the wheel, exclusive of the distance nf any) along that line" where the soft or elastic material, when measured vertically towards the metallic base, is less than one-quarter of an inch in thickness. “ ‘Width' in relation to a metal tyre means the distance measured in the shortest straight line across the - running surface of the tyre that -actually makes contact with the roadway ” WHAT TYKES MUST BE USED. Otl er clauses dealing with tyres are as follow: “The tyre of each wheel of a motor lorry, if such ty:e is n-t of a soft 'or elastic material, shall- be smooth, and shall, where the tyre touches the surface of the road or olhei bat-c whereon the motor lorry moves or rests be flat, “Provided that the edges of the tyre may be bevelled or rounded to the extent in the case of each edge of not more than half an inch, measured as the shortest straight line across the width of the surface of the bevelled or rounded portion. "Provided also that if the tyre is con structed of separate plates the plates may be separated by parallel spates which shall be disposed throughout the outer surface ot the tyre so that nowhere shall tiie ggregate extent of the space or spaces in the course of a straight line drawn horizontally across the circumterence of the wheel exceed one-eighth part of the width of the tyre. “No person shall operate any motor lorry having any tyres which, i,f pot of a soft oi elastic material, are not smooth and flat (to the extent atoresaid and subject to the foregoing proviso), or which, if constructed of separate plates, have spaces greater than the spaces hereinbefore prescribed. Provision is made for publicity prioi to exercise of powers to prohibit traffic or certain kinds of traffic on certain roads. "Notice of any* prohibition under clause (-1) of this regulation shall be given by the controlling authority at least seven days before the commencement of the specified peuod, or the first of the specified periods, by means of a statement conveying the gen era I effect of the prohibition published in some newspaper circulating in the. district to which the matter of the notice relates, and if there is no such newspaper then by a printed or written placard posted some conspicuous place on the road or street affected by such notice. "No person shall operate any motor lorry the use of which for the time being has been prohibited by a controlling authority under clause (L or this regulation.' There i s a new clause providing for a o per cent, reduction in fees payable for certain lorries if fitted with super-resilient tyres on all wheels, and the clause proceeds to ex plain: "A super-resilient tyie is a tyre not being a pneumatic lyre but composed of » soft'or elastic material and of a kind, brand, or description certified by the Minister by notice published in the New Zealand Gazette as being a super-resilient tyre for the purposes of the Motor Lorry Regulation, 1925.” In cases where a tractor with one trailer has been licensed for use as one motor lony, provision is made for extra fee w-here another trailer is used fitted with lyres that are chargeable with a greater fee than the tyres on the original trailer. ‘ Metalled or hard-surfaced roads" as meant by clause (5) of regulation 13 of the amended regulations are defined as roads which include a pumice road, a gravelled road, a metalled road (sealed, penetrated, or otherwise). a bituminous concrete road or a cement concrete road, constructed in each case to the satisfaction ot the Minister, and roads includes streets.” DISTRIBUTION OF FEES. Clauses dealing wtih the constitution of the authorities to 'distribute license fees are as follow: “For the purpose of distributing the license fees there shall be within each heavy traffic district one distributing authority which shall be such one of the licensing authorities within the heavy traffic district as may be mutually agreed upon by such local authorities as aforesaid, or, in default of agreement, as may be nominated by a magistrate on the application of any of those local authorities. “Every licensing authority within the heavy traffic district shall within 10 days after the last day of each of the months of March, June, September, and December in each year remit to the distributing authority all license fees received by it up to and including -such respective last-mentioned dates and not previously so remitted. “Every disnbuting authority shall within one month after the respective dates men tioned in the last preceding clause hereof account to every local authority within trie heavy traffic district concerned for all moneys payable to such local authority under this regulation up to and including the respec- | live dales aforesaid: "Provided always that, if no agreement or order for apportionment of such moneys is in force upon any such re-date, it shall be sufficient if the distributions authority accounts as aforesaid within one mouthy after the making of such agreement or order."