NEW PLATES

Southland Times, Issue 19837, 7 April 1926, Page 6

NEW PLATES

MOTORISTS’ DUTIES WHEN TO RE-REGISTER SOME POINTS CLEARED UP. The motor owner has quite a lot of detail to engage his or her attention to keep on side with the edicts in the Statute Book, and in many cases not a little confusion and uncertainty prevails in regard to the obligations placed on those who own or run motor vehicles by laws lately enacted. Enlightenment concerning the duties of car owners was given by a local garage proprietor in an interview with a Times, reporter yesterday. In regard to the registration of motor cars, he stated, considerable confusion existed concerning the form that had to be filled in to license a vehicle for the 12 months from April 1. He explained that there were two forms on issue for the purpose of the recently enacted registration laws. The first was an application formally to register a car and when once this was accomplished it held for all time. In the event of the vehicle changing ownership a formal transfer was granted and the first registration still held and remained in force until the car was destroyed or taken out of commission. In either case it was necessary to give due notification of the fact to the authorities issuing the certificate of registration. Registration was therefore a non-recurring responsibility. The procuring of a license to use a vehicle was, however, a duty to be faced annually and for this purpose a special form is provided, and application has to be made to the local Post Office. The annual license fee is £2, the license dating from April 1 in each year. This year, however, the Post Office authorities are unable to issue the necessary license forms on that date as the number plates, which are a concomitant of the annual license have not yet come to hand from the contracting firm. The plates this year are being manufactured in Wellington and immediately they come to hand notification of the fact will be given through the Press. Re-licens-ing for the ensuing 12 months can then be effected. The new plates will cost the owner 2s 6d, as against 2s last year, when they were manufactured in America. Owners, however. will not be provided with the same number as that held in the proceeding year, unless of course, it is by coincidence, and the number given will be governed by the order of application. The new plates will be black and white and will bear only the number with the initials "N.Z.” deleted. The matter of securing drivers’ licenses is one that is attended to by the local Town Council from whom new licenses can be obtained at the fee of ss. The old licenses expired on March 31 last. It will thus be seen that the motorist has to put himself about both personally and financially and the total cost to him if he desires to run a vehicle for another 12 months wil be £2 7s 6d. With regard to new cars sold after April 1 the old green number plates will be issued until the new ones come to hand, when it will be necessary for the former to be changed. In all cases the certificates concerning the previous year’s license and registration must be produced. When approached by a Times reporter the local Postal authorities advised that they did not expect the new number plates for about a # month yet, the delay being attributable solely to the manufacturer.