TESTING OF CARS

Southland Times, Issue 23141, 6 March 1937, Page 20

TESTING OF CARS

TIME EXTENSION REQUESTED With less than four weeks to elapse before March 31, it is obvious that the work of issuing warrants of fitness for the 240,500 motor-vehicles in the Dominion cannot be completed by that date, writes “Chassis” in The Dominion, Wellington. It is equally obvious that the request to be made by the Automobile Associations for an ex-, tension of the date to, say, June 30 is fully justified. The approved garages and the municipalities are unable to cope with the rush which is inevitable if motorvehicle owners cared to obtain, ortry to obtain, their warrants by March 31. If testing is done properly, and that is, testing and not repairing or replacing parts, the time occupied over a vehicle will be nearer a half than a quarter of an hour. .’Judging by the accommodation available in some garages, apart altogether from the tasks of the average workshop and the space so occupied, the testing of vehicles is going to be a huge bother in lots of places. The smooth working of the arrangements will not be made manifest for a long time. Possibly, at the end of the two-years period, when the system of testing is to be reviewed, the testing and well-tested garage peoples will have a smooth working plan. There is going to be a lot of irritating business in the experimental period. Before very long there will be 1000 approved garages on the job, and it will be interesting to note what effort is to be made two years hence, if necessary, of course, to displace them by central depots. If central depots are ever adapted a neat problem in regimentation will have to be tackled, but that job is one for solution by the Minister of Transport (the Hon. R. Semple), if he decides that something better than the present- plan can be evolved.

To save delay, expense and inconvenience it seems that the more com-petently-staffed testing places or stations the better. There will be a greater spread of the work, and probably greater efficiency. A move is being made by Automobile Associations to obtain authority to carry out the testing of motor-vehicles and issue warrants of fitness. It is not contemplated, of course, that repairs or replacements should be done. It will be purely testing work, the garages being left to carry out any necessary replacements. The associations, some of which in the past have actually issued driving tests, have the staff and facilities to do testing work, and it they obtain the necessary authority they will be in a position to give good service to motorists and relieve the pressure of the inevitable rush. Many of the associations have been carrying out headlight and brake testing for their members for a considerable time past.

The more places the motorist can go for his warrant of vehicle fitness the better for all concerned at any time. At all events the Transport Department cannot get 100 per cent, compliance with the regulations by anything like March 31, and if the department cannot see its way to grant an extension of time then it will have to face the position’ with a very large helping of tolerance.