RE-ORGANISATION SCHEME.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13313, 21 July 1936, Page 5

RE-ORGANISATION SCHEME.

TRANSPORT MINISTER EXPLAINS.

NEED FOR REST STRESSED. Electric Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, Last Night. Two recent Orders-in-Councii give effect to the reorganisation of the transport licensing system consequent on recent amendments to the transport legislation. The Minister of Transport, Hon. R. Semple, said in an interview to-day that the Transport Licensing (passenger) Regulations, 1936, not only make provision for new' matters but where also necessary to consolidate existing regulations. Under the new regulations the existing nine transport districts are abolished and New Zealand is now divided into four districts, two in the North Island with offices at Auckland and Wellington respectively and two in the South with offices at Christchurch and Dunedin. The appointments of Messrs Phelan, Skoglund, Langford and Raines as licensing authorities as from July 21 are confirmed and provision is made for the simplification of the system of temporary pas-senger-service licenses and the issue of permits in lieu of certificates of fitness. Reductions are made in certain of the fees payable and it is made a condition of each passenger service license that the licensee or any employee shall not drive for more than 54 hours continuously or for more than 11 hours in any period of 24 hours, and must have at least 10 hours for rest in any period of 24 hours. A compulsory period of 24 consecutive hours for rest is also provided for every week. The provision relating to wages makes the payment of award wages to all drivers a condition of every passenger service licence. The Transport Licensing Act sets out detailed provisions relating to the licensing of motor transport pas-senger-services and provides that these provisions may be applied by Order-in-Couneil in respect of motor transport services carrying goods. The provisions were first applied to goods services in 1933 but recent amendments to transport legislation have made it necessary to issue a fresh Order-in-Council incorporating the necessary amendments. The new Order-in-Council is called the Transport Goods Order, 1936. In addition to the statutory amendments, it provides for the abolition of the existing provision whereby services which do not run for five miles or more on a main highway do not need to be licensed. It also provides that milk and cream lorries, which were formerly exempt, now come under the licensing requirements. Exemption from licensing is provided for all services operating within six miles of chief post offices, in all boroughs and town districts, and for services engaged solely in the distribution of newspapers. The present special “exempted” areas around the four main centres are being retained meanwhile pending further investigation.