MOTORING PROBLEMS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 71, 25 August 1947, Page 7

MOTORING PROBLEMS

AUSTRALIAN'S VIEWS NEW ZEALAND LEADS IN MANY WAYS A brief address on problems facing the motoring public in Australia was given to members by Mr H. Leon Trout, president of the Australian Automobile Association, guest of honour at the N.I.M.U. conference at Rotorua. Mr Trout made a lightning survey of motoring from the time it actually came into being, towards the end of the last century to be met with opposition and suspicion, to the present day when the motor traffic in Australia amounted to more financially than the sea, rail and air transport put together. Referring to the N.I.M.U.’s efforts to obtain a reduction on petrol taxation or alternatively to ensure that some of the money accrued from taxation was spent on projects that would benefit the motorist, Mr Trout said that in Australia the Government had taken £12,000,000 annually in petrol taxation until recently. Seeing the unfairness of the drain on motorists and considering that the amount spent on roads was only a small proportion of that amount, his association had prepared a case which had been submitted to the Federal Government. With the backing of 300,000 members the association managed to obtain the sum of £150,000 annualy from taxation money to be spent on the roads and highways. With this money, said Mr Trout, it was hoped to substantially reduce the death roll by improving the highways. New Zealand was in advance; of Australia in many ways, continued Mr Trout. By virtue of its being split into six states, his association did not possess the same unity of the sister New Zealand body. Each state had its own traffic laws and its own road signs. He hoped, however, that some form of standardisation could be procured in the near future. “New Zealand has wonderful possibilities as a tourist country,” said Mr Torut in conclusion. The main attractions are fairly close together and well served with highways. I think that Australia and New Zealand will see a large interchange of tourists as soon as travelling conditions become better.”