MOTOR TRAFFIC

Waipa Post, Volume 36, Issue 2145, 17 April 1928, Page 5

MOTOR TRAFFIC

OBJECTION TO REGULATIONS. WAIPA COUNTY COUNCIL'S ACTION. -,■<;. It will be remembered that at last month's meeting of the Waipa County Council a strong protest was expressed - by councillors against the growing practice of government by. regulation, and with special the latest action of the Pubha Works Department in respect to motor traffic regulation. The clerk was instructed to draft a reply to the latest action of the Department, embodied in the ±Ol- - circular notification to all local. bodies: — ,' , , The engineer-in-chief and undersecretary to the Department of Public Works forwarded copy of amendments to the motor lorry regulations, !»*»'• These amendments amend the definition of a motor lorry, require weights . (unladen) to be affixed on each vehicle by Ist June, 1928; and increase tne speed limit of heavy traffic motor cars and omnibuses thus: A class from 24 to 30 miles; B and C class from 21 miles to 27 miles; D, E, and F classes from 16 miles to 24 miles; and so on. Another amendment is that sixteen passengers equal one, ton; hitherto the computation waslfifteen passengers. yjK; i

The clerk drafted this objection, for forwarding to other local bodies, as follows, and it was approved at Monday's meeting of the Council: — With a view to having amending legislation passed during the coming session in Parliament, I am instructed to request* your support to the following resolutions passed by my Council: 1. That this Council emphatically protests against the action of the Government in passing regulations of a nature which restrict the powers of county councils to make by-laws fixing the speed limit of motor vehicles for the purpose of preserving the roads. 2. That representations be made by county councils to the Minister of Public Works, through members of Parliament, to have enacted an amendment to the Public Works Act enabling local authorities to make by-laws restricting the surface of all roads and main highways situated in counties, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other Act or statutory power. Regulation No. 15 of the motor vehicle regula- ! tions, passed on 24th February, 1928, followed by the amendment to the motor lorry regulations gazetted on 30th March, 1928, appear to have been ! designed, chiefl.y if not solely, for the purpose of granting to drivers of motor vehicles, including service cars coming under the heading of heavy traffic, a license to travel at an almost unlimited without any regard for the preservation of the surface of the road, or even for the safety of the public. The restricted power given by regulation 15 (3) of the motor vehicle regulations is almost unworkable. The regulations have; practically wiped out aIF by-laws regulating speed, notwithstanding...that such by-laws may have been held by Supreme Court judges to be reasonable and Within the power of county councils. It would appear that responsible for the framing of,the regulations have either no respect for the opinion of members of county councils and county engineers (who surely must know the requirements of their own districts) or are being dictated to by other organisations. It is perhaps significant that when warning local authorities per medium of a circular, dated 10th ultimo, of the intention to pass further amending motor lorry regulations, the engineer-in-chief, Public Works Department, although he referred to one minor proposed amendment, said nothing of the more important proposal, so far as the upkeep of roads is concerned, to Increase ..the speed .of certain motor lorries from 24 miles to 30 miJes per hour. With the motor vehicle regulations in their present form, county councils might just as well save the expense of appointing inspectors, who will, except in the event of a very serious accident, find it difficult indeed to obtain convictions under regulation No. 15.

" J. suppose you have all noticed that the regulations were recently amended," said the chairman. " All heavy cars can now race through the country at a speed up to 36 miles per hour. It was formerly 24 miles per hour." " When did that come out" inquired a councillor.

" Surely you read the papers ! " retorted another.

The clerk went on to quote' some other aispects of the: amending regulations.

In the Comments on the regulations one was: " Things are in a nice pickle now."

Later in the day the county solicitor attended and went into detail, showing that the increases authorised by the latest regulations are approximately only 20 per cent. Class A vehicles must not exceed 30 miles per hour. The regulations do not deal' with the speed of private cars. Several service car owners would be prosecuted at Hamilton this week.' A private motor car must not be driven, in a manner dangerous to the public.