TRAFFIC OFFENCES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 75, Issue 6445, 12 November 1947, Page 7

TRAFFIC OFFENCES

. IN AND NEAR TE AWAMUTU SEVERAL CONVICTIONS ENTERED A Maori, Piko Jerry, pleaded guilty in Te Awamutu Court yesterday to two charges preferred against him by Traffic Inspector M. P. Norris, of failing to keep to the left of the road while driving a motor vehicle, and being unable to produce a warrant of fitness for said vehicle.

On the 25th March last, Inspector stated, he was summoned to the scene of a collision which had occurred between accused’s car and another vehicle travelling south. Jerry had allowed only 4ft of roadway for the other car to pass. When interviewed he had been unable to produce a warrant of fitness for his vehicle. Accused was convicted and ordered to pay £3 and costs on the first, charge, and 10s and costs on the latter charge. In a charge against L. Marsh and Sons, carriers, of c Te Awamutu, Inspector Norris outlined the case in which the firm of Marsh and Sons was stated to have: (a) exceeded the heavy traffic license; and (b) exceeded the axle load for the vehicle concerned. Mr P. Page, for the /'“defence, said that on the day the vejjtcle was stopped by the inspector (3td June last), the truck had on a load' of fertiliser, and the total weight‘ of load and vehicle was 8 tons 4 The offence was committed when fertilisers were urgently required and/'defcndants had been asked to take a load through to Te Awaihutu. Tljey could have taken the 4£ tons permissable, but decided, under the circumstances, to carry 5i tons. This was /the first occasion on which the firm had been prosecuted for a carrying offence. The Magistrate, Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., imposed a fine of £1 apd costs on the first charge, and £2 and costs on the second. A charge of driving a ligfftt trade motor vehicle with defective, lights was preferred against G. B?'/Taylor (Mr B. Malone). Traffic M. P. Norris, Transport Department, said the offence occurred in Te Xwamutu on 27th June last. On behalf of defendant, Mr iMalone drew attention to the time that had elapsed since the offence occurred and the laying of a charge against his client. He thought the charge :in such cases should be laid earlier. Defendant was fined 10s and costs. For riding a motor cycle equipped - w’ith defective lights and with no number plates attached, D. G. Taylor, of Te Awamutu, was fined 10s and costs on each charge. A similar penalty was imposed oh W. J. Evans, who was charged with operating a vehicle equipped with defective lights. For failing to carry a light on his bicycle in Te Awamutu on 27th June last, W. Crawford was fined 10s and costs.