MOTOR LAWS AMENDED

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1927, Page 11

MOTOR LAWS AMENDED

PROVISIONS OF NEW BILL VENUE OF THE REGISTRATION. ALTERATIONS IN LICENSING. (By Wire —Special Reporter.) Wellington, Last Night. The Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill introduced by Governor-General’s message in the House of Representatives, to-night, enables the registration or licensing of motor vehicles to be effected in any district instead of as at present only in the district in which the garage of the vehicle is situated. The change of procedure renders unnecessary -the giving of information as to garages, and section 16 of the present Act is therefore repealed. Clause 5 regularises the present practice of renewing registration plates annually instead of issuing an annual'license in documentary form. The annual renewal of licenses will in future take place in June instead of April. Clause 7 gives authority to refund a proportionate part of the annual fee paid in respect of a motor vehicle if it is destroyed or is permanently removed from the Dominion. The sum" to be refunded shall not exceed one twelfth part of the annual license fee for every complete month between the date of the accident or the date of removal from New Zealand as the ease may be, and the end of the period for which the license fee has been paid. Clause 8 protects the owner of a motor vehicle plying for hire in more than one district from being required by several local authorities to pay a license fee in each district. The license fee may be charged only in the district where there is a garage provided for the vehicle. There is further provision for the cancellation oi the registration if the annual license foe Is not paid. The maximum penalty for a breach of the regulations is increased from £2O to £5O.

Another clause in the Bill provides that the principal Act shall bind the Crown. Registration fees and license fees will thus become available in respect of State-owned motor vehicles. The clause in the principal Act exempting State-owned and other publicly-owned vehicles from its requirements is repealed. Under clause; 10, fees payable by manufacturers and dealers for the use of dealers’ plates are increased from 5s to 10s each in the case of motor-cycles, and from 10s to £2 in the case of other motor vehicles. A manufacturer or dealer may apply for authority to use registration plates with a distinguishing mark, and with or without distinguishing numbers, on vehicles held for the purposes of sale or for the purposes of business. This clause gives greater lattitude in respect to the use of demonstration cars. The Bill was read a first time.