DRIVERS’ LICENCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26746, 15 April 1948, Page 6

DRIVERS’ LICENCES

POWER OF REVOCATION SOUGHT CASES OF UNFITNESS The Minister of Transport, Mr Hackett, is to be asked by the Municipal Association of New Zealand to amend the Motor Drivers’ Regulations, 1940, to empower local authorities issuing drivers’ licences to require persons to be medically examined if the authority has reason to believe they are unfit to drive owing to ill-health. The further request is to be made that if an adverse medical report were received, the authority be given the power to revoke the licence. A remit on these lines . was carried by the annual conference yesterday afternoon. A further remit was carried requesting the Minister to amend the regulations to empower local authorities to suspend immediately licences to drive public vehicles where it had good and sufficient reason for doing so, until a full inquiry could be made. “No Parking” Signs The conference also discussed “No Parking” signs, and carried a remit asking the Minister of Transport to review their design with the object of removing the contradiction created by the large letter “P” occupying the top half of the sign while the smaller letters “N.P.” occupied the lower half. Dr R. G. McElroy, Auckland, said that as a result of the confusion created by the sign the Auckland City Council had already had two prosecutions dismissed and had been the subject of much adverse criticism in the local press, although the council was not responsible for framing the parking notices. He added that a Supreme Court ruling stated that a prosecution must fail unless the signs were erected in accordance with the definition laid down by the Transport Department. Mr R. J. Pentecost, New Plymouth, said that his council agreed with the remit, but was not prepared to say what substitute should be used for the present sign.