MOTOR REGULATIONS

Southland Times, Issue 19457, 22 January 1925, Page 6

MOTOR REGULATIONS

FURTHER CRITICISM "FLEECING THE PUBLIC.** DUNEDIN. January 20. The new motor regulations were keenly criticised at last night’s meeting of the St. Ki Ida Borough Council, which had the draft regulations before it. ‘‘lt seems as if the public are going to be fleeced,” was Councillor Hall’s remark. He went on to say that it looked as if the Government was trying, by imposing heavy registration fees, to add to the revenue of its own railroads. The charges proposed were simply outrageous. A man was going to pay up to £75 to have the right to the nm of the roads. The Mayor (Mr C. Todd' : That is not strictly so. The owner of a one-ten truck will pay £5. a two-ton truck £l3, a threeton truck £24. and over five tons £75. Councillor Longworth said it was going to be hard for those who had taken over lorries for a livelihood. Lorries were, of course, in keen competition with the railways, and there were two ways of looking at it. The trains were running on their own railroads, while the motors were using roads that did not belong to them. The Mayor said that Hon. A. D. McLeod and Hon. W. Downie Stewart had some time ago told a deputation that the Act was really having a year’s try-out, at the end of which time any anomalies would be remedied. Councillor Edgar said that if the money was spent on the roads it would in the end return a benefit to the heavy lorry owner who used the roads. Councillor Adam: His grand-daughter will get the benefit of it, perhaps! It was pointed out that it was too late now t-o do anything in the matter.