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62. Other Vehicles. -All motor-vehicles, other than those which come within the scope of the Transport Licensing Act, are required to be inspected every six months for a warrant of fitness, which is issued either by especially approved motor garages or municipal vehicle-testing stations. 63. In view of the increased mileages run by private vehicles due to the improved petrol-supply position the wartime emergency regulation extending the term of the warrant of fitness from six to twelve months (for vehicles insured under Class IY for the purpose of the Motor-vehicles Insurance (Third-party Risks) Regulation 1939) was revoked with effect from the Ist May, 1947. 64. Vehicle Defeets.—(a) " Licensed " Vehicles : The following table gives the percentage of vehicles operating under the Transport Licensing Act which were found to be free from defects when submitted for inspection : Type. Percentage. Omnibuses .. .. .. .. 25-9 Service cars .. .. .. ..15*0 Service coaches .. .. ... 22-9 Passenger-trucks .. .. .. 11-9 School buses .. .. .. .. 25 • 2 School vehicles .. .. .. ..12*3 Taxis .. .. .. .. .. 25-2 Rental cars .. .. .. .. 31 • 7 Ambulances .. .. .. .. 35 • 2 Goods-service vehicles .. .. .. 19-1 65. (b) " Private " Vehicles: As a result of statistical data made available from municipal testing stations and garages authorized to issue warrants of fitness, 52*3 per cent, of the vehicles when submitted for examination were satisfactory. 66. For every thousand vehicles submitted for test the number of defects disclosed by the examination is shown below : Brakes, foot .. .. .. .. 203 Brakes, hand .. .. .. .. 196 Lights, head .. .. .. .. 221 Lights, tail .. .. .. .. 105 s Steering mechanism .. .. 128 Windscreen-wiper .. .. .. 38 Rear vision mirror .. .. .. 15 Warning-device .. .. .. 23 Door-fastenings .. .. .. .. 21 67. Vehicles condemned. —The Department's policy of advising transport operators in advance of the necessity for replacing vehicles which are nearing the end of their economic life is reflected in the relatively small number of vehicles condemned compared with the number voluntarily withdrawn. 68. During the year 87 vehicles were condemned and 1,845 vehicles voluntarily withdrawn. This policy enables old vehicles to be replaced without affecting the continuity of the services.

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