MOTOR VEHICLES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 193, 31 July 1940, Page 5

MOTOR VEHICLES

The New Zealand total of all classes of motor vehicles licensed- for ( the year 1939-40 as at 31st Marclii was 317,526. Of this* total 219,93b! were cars. The island totals of alt vehicles were: North Island 209,410; South Island 108,116. The increase in the number of licensed motor vehicles (all groups), compared with the total at 31st psf March, 1939, was: 9595, or 3.12 peg cent. These figures are given in the annual reort of the Transport Department tabled in the House of Representatives by the Minister of Transport, Mr Semple. The proportion of car imports of American or Canadian origin to t ( lie total new car registrations has fallen from 41 per cent in 1938-39 to 37 per cent in 1939-40, while the pro." portion, of cars of English origin has increased from 57 per-cent to (30 per cent, the report states. It is estimated that the general increase -in motor traffic on the whole of the national ..roacung, system has been about 8 per cent since 1937-38. The whole of tlTis increase occurred during 1938-39, but, owing to curtailment of use during the latter part of 1939-40, there has been no further increase for the. whole year, although individual months show very considerable fluctviation in use. Over the whole year' there has been a very slight falling otf in use since the preceding year, although during the first six montlisl the petrol figures show that there was a further .increase of more than 10 per cent over the corresponding period of 1938-39.