TRANSPORT LICENCES FOR EX- SERVICEMEN

Chronicle (Levin), 1 June 1946, Page 8

TRANSPORT LICENCES FOR EXSERVICEMEN

WELLINGTON, May 31. Clarifyiug the position regarding the granting of liceuces in the traiisp.ort industry to returned servieemen, a statemeiit from the Conmiissiouer o± Trausport, Mr. G. I.. Laurensou, on a remit seekiug additional vehiele authorities for qualilled servieemen was presented to the annual conferenee ot the N.Z.R.S.A. Mr. Laurenson stated tliat where additional vehiele autliorities were neeessary to meet genuine expansion in an existing operator's business, due to his own elfie ieney, and not due to causes resulting from the war, the appeal authority liad lield that the existing j lieenee sliould be allowed to .stand. In cases where a new applicant proved that additional vehiele authorities were necessaiy, the lieensing au- | thorities gave preferenee to returned servieemen as against eiviliaus, provided there was a suitable serviceman taking on tlxe business. In eases' where, as the resxxlt ot aetion by the Trausport Department, it was shown that additional vehiele authorities were neeessarv, returned servieemen lxad always lieen aeeorded priority by the lieensing autliorities. In the case of individual lixxsinesses, | lieensing axxtlxorities aeeorded priority j to ex-servieemen provided a suitable; serviceman was available. The priority extended to ex-servieo j raexx did xxot override the statutory pre- i ferenee given to the State and loeai , axxtlxorities xxnder section 27 of the orig-j inal transport regxxlation. Attention | liad reeentlv been drawn to this pointi and was under consideratioxx at thej ipresent time. The numbers of ex-servieemen grant- 1 j ed transport licenees xxp to Mareh-3t,j i 1946, were: — Taxis, 281; rcntal, 10; pas- i j sexxger, 37; goods, 31 0. Total, 10SS. J I As to futxxre prospeets for ex-service- j nxen obtaining transport lieenees, the ; ■ Transport Department was earrving j out surveys tlxroxxghoxxt the whole Do ; iininion for tlie purpose of diselosing j where additional serxiecs were reqnired. ' | As a resxxlt of two sxxeh sxxrveys of tlxe, j ! taxi position in Auckland and Welling-j ton, the Department nxade represexxtations to the lieensing autliorities for an additioxxal 30 cabs ixx Auckland axxd 20 j in Well'ingtoix. The lieexxsing autlxoritv in Axxeklaml I lxad granted an additional 2o cabs, ; whieh woxxld all go to cx-servicemen. In • i Wellington, a deeision had not yet been ! given. Rinxilar sxxrveys were now in progress th rough out New Zealand.