VARIOUS OFFENCES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 249, 13 December 1940, Page 5

VARIOUS OFFENCES

BREACHES OF THE TRAFFIC REGULATIONS "VVHAK AT ANE MOTOR ISTS IMPROVE Is it that petrol restrictions are at last having their effect in'reducing the amount of traffic on the roads, with a consequent reduction in the possible number of traffic regulations breaches, or is it that motorists and vehicle operators in the Whakatane County are becoming more 'law-conscious'? Usually when Traffic Inspector J. H. Delves, representing the Transport Department, steps into the witness box at the monthly sitting of the Whakatane Magistrate's Court* he has a lengthy recitation to make, detailing a long list of names and an accompanying varied range of traffic offences. Discounting the charges concerning wandering stock, detailed in Wednesday's issue, the Inspector had only ten cases for the hearing on Tuesday, a decrease, on the approximate average, of about 60 per cent.

Failure to possess a drivex*'s licence and a current warrant of fitness was responsible for the infliction of two monetary penalties, os and 10s, on Peter Lindsay Horrocks. Costs amounted to 12s on each charge. Thompson Nepia was another who could not produce a driver's licence at the Inspector's x*equest and the result was a conviction and an order to pay a total of £1 9s in costs. Dangerous Driving. Douglas Henry rode a motor-cycle during the hours of darkness and as lie did not have a light on the machine he was fined £1 and 12s costs. A plea of guilty in each case was entered by Alexander O. Meredith (Mr G. Otley) to charges of failing to possess a heavy tx-affic licence and a current warrant of fitness. £1 and 12s costs, and 10s and costs, were the penalties.

Christopher Hampton was fined £1 and 12s costs because he did not give way at a pedestrian crossing and no WOF cost Ronald Raymond Gattsche (Mr Otley) 10s and 12s. Describing a Domain Road and Commerce Street episode, in which defendant was responsible for* 'cut-tingf-in' and travelling on the wrong side of the road,, Inspector Delves told His Worship that John Waterhouse drove in a dangerous manner; "£3 and costs 125," said Mr Walton.

Contractor Convicted.

Mr B. S. Barry appeared for John Lionel Marmont when defendant was charged with carrying on an unlicensed passenger service between Matata and Rotorua, and exceeding the terms of his passenger service licence.

Inspector Delves said that defendant had a school bus service. On November 16, a special occasion Rotorua, Marmont conveyed passengers in his bus, and in his car, to that town. The trip should have been on a contract basis but defendant had advertised the trip a

week before it was made. The Inspector said he had discovered that a charge of 7s per head had been made for the passengers in the bus and 10s per head for those travelling in the car. The bus was carrying more passengers than the number allowed in the licence.

For the defence it was stated that Marmont was the holder of a licence for a service between Matata and Whakatane. On the occasion of the opening of the new meeting-house in Rotorua Maoris of Matata had approached defendant and asked him to make the trip. It was admitted that an individual charge had been made but the price had been worked out on the contract basis of 20 passengers for the price of £7. A fine of £2 and costs was imposed on each charge. County Prosecutions. The Whakatane County Inspector, Mr T. ~ Hamerton "appearing for informant, proceeded against Douglas Alexander Haig, who did not possess a heavy traffic licence. Defendant was fined £2, with costs totalling £2 Is. For exceeding the speed limit of 25 m.p-h., Mervyn James Bidlake, who had a trailer attached to his truck,, was fined £2. Costs totalled £1 13s. A charge of exceeding a road classification weight was preferred against the Upango Sa\v- V milling Co (Mr Barry) . The fine was £1 and the costs £1 13s.