TRAFFIC LICENSES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 115, 26 January 1940, Page 5

TRAFFIC LICENSES

partial exemption for FARMERS COUNCIL'S DISCUSSION A letter was received by the County Council from the Commissioner of Transport, wherein it was stated that consideration is being given to the re-issue of the Heavy Motor Vehicle Regulations and in the re-issue it was proposed that any light truck U]> to 4 tons laden weight, that is, A to D inclusive, if owned by a farmer or market gardener and used by the owner exclusively in connection with such business, will qualify for a reduction of f>!) per cent in the Heavy Traffic fees normally payable. The Finance and General Purposes Committee of the Council recommended that the farmers' exemption should apply to classes A to E inclusive, i.e. ! ] ,2 tons laden weight of vehicle®. Mr J. L. Burnett said that a number of farmers have been under the impression that a Heavy Trailic, license did not include the weight of the truck. Cr Luxton said that there, were quite a lot of farmers operating trucks under that impression and instanced the case of a farmer who had had the error pointed out to him by an Inspector. On weighing the vehicle, it Avas found that the license for the truck allowed th« owner to early himself and one pig (Laughter).

Cr McCready was of the opinion that although the farmer was getting a reduction lie was still' on tht wrong side of the ledger and he was in favour of recommending that the licenses he cancelled altogether. "I run a truck," said Cr McGougan, "but only because the council scrapes up tlie metal on the roads and I can't use horses. It is impossible to run milk to cheese factories under those conditions." "We have thrashed the figures out" snid Cr McCready, "and it is the farmer who car. do with the sympathy; most of them had to get trucks." "All this discussion is beside the point," said Cr McCracken. "What we are aiming at is to give the far-' mer some reduction. There are points that can be argued but what we must remember is that 50 pet cent is a big concession. We thought 4 tons exemption was not sufficient so we recommended -IV> tons. We ■were of the opinion that the lowei figure was not enough when mill* I had to be carted."

Following the Commissioner of Transport's Invitation to forward suggestions concerning the proposed amendments to the Heavy Traffic Regulations, the Finance Committee's recommendation i'or an alteration of the exemption to 4y* tons laden weight, was approved by the council. Further suggestions were that Heavy Traffic Inspectors be authorised to operate sirens; that side endorsements be adopted on Heavy Traffic application forms, and that Government Heavy Trafi'ic vehicles J be made subject to the regulations.