LICENCE STICKERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 57, 4 September 1943, Page 6

LICENCE STICKERS

A FURTHER PROTEST

"It is almost one month since I drew the attention of the Postmaster-Gene-ral and his department by a statement in the 'Evening Post' to the entirely unsatisfactory quality, of vehicle stickers," said Mr. E. A. Batt, chairman of the council of the Automobile Association, today. "Up to the present no action has been taken by the department nor has any announcement been made whether vehicle owners are to be relieved of the cost of Is a sticker for renewing those that have disintegrated and in some cases disappeared from windscreens. As there is a big percentage of faulty stickers on vehicles in use this means that many vehicle owners are liable under clause 18 of the Motor Vehicles Registration Emergency Regulations, 1942, to a fine of £20 per day for each day the vehicle is used. It is a serious position, and the Minister should not delay in making a pronouncement on the subject, because his department must have reported their observations to him. . ~ , . "My own experience and that qi many other vehicle owners has been that the stickers have remained legible only four weeks, and if the regulations covering the use of stickers were strictly enforced vehicle owners would have to renew, their faulty stickers approximately every month at a total cost for the licensing year of 11s. 6d," said Mr. Batt. "It appears that the department called for competitive prices from local manufacturers and accepted the lowest price, which may imply that they have received the lowest auality, and in view of the fact that ie licensee is liable to a fine of £20 a day the department should have made the question of price a secondary consideration in the interests of the vehicle owner." Mr. Batt 'stated that the Automobile Association membership stickers made in New Zealand had always been entirely satisfactory and there were numerous cars with stickers up to 10 years old on their windscreens; the cost for last year's supply did not exceed 3d each. This was merely mentioned to prove that local manufacturers could produce, and had produced, satisfactory goods. "The question to be asked the Minister," he said, "is whether it is equitable, or even fair, to persist with the charge of Is per sticker for compulsory renewals."