MOTOR VEHICLES ACT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16492, 9 November 1927, Page 6

MOTOR VEHICLES ACT

LOCAL BODY EXEMPTIONS RESTRICTION OF ABUSES (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act were introduced yesterday by Govt ernor’s Message. The Minister of Public Works, the Hon. K. S. Williams, explained that some of the amendments were for the purpose of re-introducing the exemption of tho Government and local body vehicles from the requirements of the principal Act in respect of licenses, provided tnev were used solely lor road construction and road maintenance, purposes. " Vehicles used by private reading firms were also exempted by these amendments, provided they were designed and used exclusively for reading purposes and could not be used, or readily adapted, for use for other purposes. Mr. Williams explained that this distinction was made to prevent the abuse of privileges. Motor lorries owned by public bodies and used exclusively for road metal cartage would be exempted, but those owned by private firms would not. Another amendment exempts tractors and trailers owned! by harbor boards. Such vehicles, said the Minister, were used cn a limited portion of the roads on the very infrequent occasions when the wharves were congested. So far as was known the Wellington Harbor Boakd was the body that used the roads in this way. The former, exemption of harbor board vehicles’ under the principal Act extended to all vehicles owned by the board other than motor-cars or cycles, and' this'new exemption was much more limited. Dealers’ registration plates on cars and cycles must not be used on Sundays and after business hours, according to the terms of another amendment. Th 6 object of this clause is to restrict as much as possible abuses in the use of such plates. The Minister said this restriction was thought desirable in view of a concession to be given by the Bill enabling dealers to use their plates for any port Of their business. The purpose of another clause is to bring 1 the licensing year for drivers' 1 licenses into line for motor vehicles, so that vehicles may be licensed and drivers* certificates may be obtained on the same day.