TRANSPORT LICENSING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 25, 16 June 1939, Page 5

TRANSPORT LICENSING

SITTING AT WHAKATANE

WARNING BY AUTHORITY

"During the next few months numerous applications for renewal of transport licenses will come before me for hearing and as has already been in dealing with applications, consideration Avill be given to the service rendered by the applicant, his financial position and ability to maintain the service, and his compliance with the terms oi' his license and the regulations v under which he operates. ,Fiom time to time the district officer has drawn my attention to reports of the inspecting accountants of the Transport Department in my area and it appears that not more than 25 per cent of those licenses whose records have been examined have fully complied with the terms of the regulations,' said E. J. Phelan No. 1 Licensing Authority. at the conclusion of the hearing in the Whakatane Courthouse yesterday. ''I wish it to be clearly understood that where it is shown that applicants are not carrying out their obligations, I shall have no option but to grant short term licenses onlv, and reserve the right to review such licenses later, with a view to ensuring that the licensee is complying strictly with all the requirements of his license,'' added Mr Phelan. "In fact some operators have so flagrantly disregarded my previous warnings that I shall have to consider very seriously as to whether or not they are fit and proper persons to hold a license in future." MUST CHOOSE CLASS OF WORK, j In the course of the sitting Mr Phela<n emphasised 'that, carriers would not be permitted in future to engage in Public Works jobs with a general goods license and that they must choose which classes of work they were going to undertake. All Public Works licenses would be issued for 12 months only, and where they were newly granted the applicants must become members of the Carriers \ssociation, and remain, members. Mr Phelan warned carriers engaged on Public Works jobs that thov would not be granted general goods licenses when the department s works were finished. ; The authority also emphasised that the position, could not be allowed whereby men with general goods licenses went to Public Works jobs? and left the public without an efficient service. Goods often piled up at railway stations and great inconvenience was caused to the public and to the Railways Department. Except in. one case, Mr H. N. McDonald, Public Works Department, supported the applications for public works licenses. FATE OF APPLICATIONS All applications for transfers, renewals and fresh licences were approved with the exception of an application for an additional goods ses. vice authority by A. B. Murrell, decision on which was reserved pending inquiries; an application for the amendment of a, goods service licence to cover public works by R. J. Mercer, which was declined; a new application for a licence for Public Works cartage by W. Kopae, Poroporo, on which decision was reserved. In Kopae's case Mr H. O. Garaway (Carriers' Association) said that the applicant was under 21 years of age. Mr McDonald said Kopae had been working for him and he would support the application. Mr Phelan said he must decline the application as Kopae was under age. He would m ike a recommendation to the commissioner for the return of fees so that an application could be made in the name of Kopae's fa this l " or grandfather for the licence. Mr Barry asked for a temporary permit in the name of Kopae's grandfather so that he could carry on the work and Mr Phelan reserved his decision on this point.