H.—4o.

The four district Licensing Authorities who deal with all taxi-services, outside those operating in the four main centres, considered 472 applications for taxicab licenses, granting 426, refusing 8, and reserving their decision on 38 applications. In addition, several applications for amendment and transfers of licenses wore also considered. Full details of the applications for taxicab licenses dealt with by the four Metropolitan Transport Licensing Authorities are not available. As the majority of these services have only been under license for three to four months no details of their financial operations are available. At the 31st March, 1940, there were 1,050 taxi licenses and 125 rental-car licenses in force. D. APPEALS. Appeals lodged during the year totalled 180, of which 80 related to goods services, 26 to passenger services, and 74 to services operated by " ancillary " users. Many of the appeals lodged by the Railways Department in respect of ancillary services were in the nature of appeals, pro forma, and some have been withdrawn since the close of the year under review. The following details are given regarding the appeals in respect of passenger and goods services, including appeals brought forward from the previous year : —

8. CHANGES IN TRANSPORT LAW IN NEW ZEALAND. The following were the principal enactments passed during the year under consideration : — A. STATUTES. Transport Law Amendment Act, 1939. —This Act provided for more stringent penalties in the case of intoxicated drivers, empowered the Minister to set up traffic districts about the main centres, and brought under the provisions of the Transport Licensing legislation, taxicabs, town carriers, and ancillary users (competing with over thirty miles of railway). Among the other provisions was included regulation power to deal with the accident-prone or unfit driver. B. REGULATIONS. Traffic Regulations 1936, Amendment No. 1 (1939/76). —The principal provisions of this relate to the lighting of motor-vehicles and make dipping of lights compulsory under conditions which require such dipping. It also provides that every motor-vehicle drawing a trailer or every motor-vehicle exceeding 7 ft. in width or 20 ft. in length is to be fitted with a blue light at the front, and every motorvehicle exceeding 8 ft. in width or extending more than 4 ft. to the off-side from the centre-line is to be equipped with a white light at the extremity of the off-side. . The speed-limit of 40 miles per hour was fixed for motor-cycles carrying pillion riders. The amendment also provided that safety glass is to be fitted in windscreens of ordinary vehicles, and is also to be used in the replacement of any broken windscreens. Pedestrian-crossing and Safety-zone Regulations 1939 (1939/247). —These regulations relate to the provision of standard types of pedestrian-crossings and safety-zones, and are dealt with in detail elsewhere in this report. Amendments to the Transport (Passenger) Order 1936 (1939/250 and 1940/21.) —Two amendments were made to this Order, principally for the purpose of adjusting the areas of the Nos. 1 and 2 Transport districts, and to require that all licensees are to be members of incorporated transport organizations, membership of which is confined to other licensees. Amendments to Transport (Goods) Order 1936 (1939/79, 1939/202, 1940/37).- —Three amendments were effected to this Order, being principally machinery provisions to apply to goods services the corresponding statutory amendments made in the case of passenger services as mentioned above. The provisions relating to Certificates of Fitness for passenger-services vehicles were also applied to goods service vehicles.

23

Carried For- Lodged ■ Licensing , . , ward from j during Appeals ( Authority's Decision Decision Under r . Previous ! Current withdrawn.: Decision modified, reversed. Action, lieport. | Year. j upheld. Goods-services. No. 1 .. .. 12 19 5 10 3 7 6 No. 2 .... .. 2 19 2 5 1 4 9 No. .3 .. .. .. 3 15 4 6 1 2 5 No. 4 .. .. .. 9 27 5 14 1 4 12 Totals .. ..26 80 16 35 6 17 32 Passenger-services. No. 1 .. .. .. 3 9 1 5 1.. .. 6 No. 2 .. .. .. 1 4 1 .. .. 1 3 No. 3 1 2 1 1 .. 1 No. 4 .. .. .. 6 7 1 3 1 5 3 Metropolitan .. .. 1 4 .. 1 .. .. 4 Totals .... 12 26 4 10 1 7 16