HEAVY TRAFFIC INSPECTORS,

Otago Witness, Issue 3995, 7 October 1930, Page 75

HEAVY TRAFFIC INSPECTORS,

ALLOCATION OF FEES.

LOCAL BODY DELEGATES CONFER.

A meeting of representatives of various local bodies convened by Mr J. Pres? ton, of the Waikouaiti County Council, was held in the Town Hall on Tuesday morning to consider the question of the appointment of heavy traffic inspectors ioi the counties, and also regarding an alteration in the allocation of heavy trams fees Representatives were prese.l?t “'9 nl the following bodies:—Dunedin City Council, St. Kilda Borou'di Council, Green Island Borough Council, Peninsula County Council, Clutha Countv Council, Vincent County Council, Manio"toto County Council, Palmerston Borough Council, Waihemo County Council, Waikouaiti County Council, Waitati County Council, and the West Harbour Borough Council.

Mi’ Preston was voted to the chair. lhe chairman said the first thing he would like them to ascertain was how many bodies were still in favour of the appointment of inspectors, and if the Dunedin City Council was willing to participate, even though, in accordance with the Highways Board’s requirements, the inspectors must be controlled by a county council presumably the Bruce County Council because it was situated about the centre of the area. Mr Preston suggested that a small committee might be set up to finalise the position. He was quite sure that they could come to some working arrangement. The whole thing had to be gone into afresh. re l>ly. to a question, it was stated that each inspector would cost £BOO per annum, including travelling inspectors, ana that the total of heavy traffic fees collected was about £ll,OOO per annum for the whole district. It was contended, however, that if a working arrangement could be arrived at the Highways Board would pay half the cost and that the increase in fees would be very considerable*

,n lr n ’ . J ?- k (Clutlla County Council) said that his council was not in favour of entering into the combined scheme, tr i ° appointed its own inspector. He believed that other councils were in the same position. In reply to Air J. J. Clark (Dunedin City Council), Mr Jack said that the appointment of the inspector had meant a considerable increase in the amount of fees collected.

A ’ Lewln Pointed out that if Clutha were to come into the combined scheme the annual cost it would be reqU]fe x I lay woultl £l6 of each £BOO that being the basis of its receipts from heavy traffic business. Messrs F. W. Mitchell (convener). J. freston, Hunter Maeandrew, E. Morgan, and A. Rennie were appointed a committee to go further into the matter. HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES.

Mr Preston said that the second matter he desired to place before them was the method of allocating heavy traffic fees. In previous years lorry drivers had been leit to keep a record of the mileages they had run, and there was no means of checking the figures. He felt that the system adopted in group 8 in the North Island was the best. It was working well and was not creating any friction. "That system was that the mileage of metalled and gravelled roads was calculated, and fees apportioned on 50 per cent, of the capital cost and 50 per cent, of the mileage. Such a system would, however have a detrimental effect on the Dunedin City Council. For the half-year ended in 1930 “ r ID City Council had received £3431 in fees, but under the new proposal it would receive only £1932. On the face of it that looked a serious proposition. His point, however, was that under no circumstances where the driver was expected to keep his mileage record were they likely to get a fair and square record.

Mr F. J. Williams (Green Island) and Air Lewin held that the present system worked as fairly as was possible? All’ J. Ritchie (Vincent) supported the proposal. He considered it w-as impossible to check drivers’ mileages. Mr Clark said that there was only one thing to do. and that was to allow a magistrate to settle the matter. Air Lervin said he had more faith in human nature than the chairman. He thought that the lorry drivers made an honest attempt to give a fair return of their mileages. He was of opinion that the mileage basis was the ideal one. Mr Ritchie thought that a better system was needed, and he suggested that a committee be set up to collect information and report to a further conference. Mr Preston said he was convinced that the mileage records kept by the drivers throughout the whole of New Zealand were not worth a tin of fish.

Air Clark said he thought they could work on a population basis and the amount spent on the roads. Air Ritchie said that it would be a hardship on the backblocks districts to work on a population basis.

The following committee was set up to go into the matter:—Alessrs Preston (convener), Ritchie, Clark, Kempshall (Taieri County Council), and Griffin (town clerk. St. Kilda).