INSPECTION OF CARS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23107, 5 February 1937, Page 4

INSPECTION OF CARS

NEW TRAFFIC REGULATIONS WARRANTS OF FITNESS NECESSARY CITY COUNCIL’S POSITION Under the new traffic regulations recently gazetted, every motor vehicle on the roads after March 31, with the exception of certain specified vehicles, must carry a warrant of fitness, to be issued, according to one of the regulations, only by a city authority or a person or firm appointed or approved by the Minister of Transport. The warrants must be obtained every six months at a fee of ss.

Other regulations make it essential for all cars to be fitted with mechanically-operated, windscreen wipers, and the onus is placed upon the driver to keep the windscreen clean. The lighting systems of some vehicles, especially the new models, will have to be altered to comply with the regulations before a certificate of fitness is issued. It is necessary that a white light should shine on the registration plate, the beams of which are not visible from the rear, and the strength of the light should be sufficient to allow the letters and figures on the plate beiny visible at a distance of 60 feet. Another regulation states that the headlamps of vehicles shall be focussed and adjusted so that under all conditions of use the centre of the main beam of each lamp shall be projected downward to meet a horizontal road surface at a distance of not more than 200 feet ahead of the vehicle. TheSe instructions from the Minister of Transport will mean a great deal of work on the part of the authorities which have to deal directly with the situation. The regulations have just been received by the traffic authorities in Dunedin, and the question now arises: Who will be entrusted with the task of inspecting the motor vehicles in the city and issuing the warrants of fitness to each driver. Whether the Dunedin City Council will act as the testing authority has been considered, but the matter has been deferred until the arrival of the Minister of Transport (Mr R. Semple) in Dunedin next week. A committee has been appointed to wait on the Minister, said the Mayor (the Rev. E. T. Cox) yesterday, to ascertain whether the Government will carry out the work or whether the council itself will be required to act. The council also wished to find out who received the 5s warrant fee every six months.

It seems more than likely, however, that the council will be the body to handle the work, and if this is the case the traffic department will be faced with the necessity of increasing its staff considerably and installing the equipment which will be required for the testing of brakes. The Tapley Metre, formerly used by the department for brake-testing, was, it may be mentioned, sold to the Government some time ago. A glance at the number .of cars registered at the Chief Post Office reveals the magnitude of the task which faces the council should it be decided that it will have to 'carry out the inspection of vehicles. In Dunedin city and St. Kilda there are 5360 private cars, 1580 commercial vehicles and 900 motor cycles, and when the districts of Green Island, Port Chalmers and other country centres whose returns come to Dunedin are added, the totals are increased considerably, the number of private cars being brought up to 10,700; commercial vehicles, 3300; and motor cycles 1700.