CARRIERS’ COMPLAINT

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 52, Issue 3750, 1 May 1936, Page 7

CARRIERS’ COMPLAINT

NEED FOR UNIFORMITY IN”; ROAD CLASSIFICATIONS.

The need for. a uniform classifli cation of roads was stressed in remit’?’ from the Wellington and Waipa'Afi sociations tabled at the' conference of the Dominion Federation of Master Carriers in Hamilton. Emphasis was laid on the inconsistencies which, occurring under the present system, considerably handicapped operations. Mr A. Rowan (Te Awajnutu) said, that it had been about 10 yegre, stag a classification of roads had been carried out in the Waikato and carriers were faced with considerable inconvenience on account of the marked variations He suggested a minimum load of six tons and contended that at the present, time the roads and bridges were capable of carrying the heavier freights. The authorities, however, were concerned only in securing the added revenue from special license extensions. Mr W, I. Blythe (W?llingtpi].) and Mr L. Pearson (MastertonJ." supported the remit, the latter contending that modem reading policy permitted a load of at least eight tons on anyT routes. Roads that . were classified-: low were narrow and prevented.! trucks operating at high-speed. - r.As a result no damage, would result to. the surface. To. tax the. carrier working on what were regarded as: “bad” roads was justly unfair. " . “On the run to Taupo we meet., with three distinct classifications and. we are expected to divide the load in order to comply with each division. This position occurs on a main highway which should all be constructed to carry the same load. We may be asking for the impossible to request all roads to take'eight tons, as some country roads during the ' winter would suffer,” said Mr., A. Hamilton. „ ~ The president, Mr A. J l . Curtis, of Wellington, said that the mam problem was to secure uniformity rather than to specify a maximum, over all roads in general; Mr W.- Pinfold (Wairarapa) contended that formed, and sealed roads were fully capable of carrying ten-ton lorries. . • J It was decided to urge: the.iGovernment to undertake the. tion and to hear the representations; of master carriers, when the prbpokalwas applied. - . , . .-.-st