MOTOR VEHICLES

Hokitika Guardian, 11 March 1926, Page 3

MOTOR VEHICLES

THE NEW NU.MBER ELATES

('HRISTC’H UROL .March 10

The issue of new number plates lotmotor vehicles will he commenced within a lew days. The onus is on the motorist to pay the license fee of C2 I tel ore April 1. and allaeh tin* new [dates. Detection of delinquents will he immediate, as the plates for the year 1020-27 are ldack and while, in contrast to the current green and white rdates.

I ilder the .Motor Vehicles Act. which became operative last year, every private car. commercial motor or motor cycle must be both registered and licensed. The registration remains in force for the life ol the car. It is secured for a fee of £l. Tile licensing is an annual mailer, mid all licenses expire on Alarcli 31, irrespective of when they ere taken out. For the license, a fee of £2 is paid, together with 2s tid for a pair of number plates. Motorists who acquired ears during the last twelve months have not been required to pay the full license fee. The charge is proportionate to the number of mouths for which the license will operate before the national reliceusing date of April I. Last year motorists enjoyed considerable latitude before the regulations were enforced. A week alter April Ist there were scores of cars in use which had not been registered. In many cases this was due to ignorance. To many private car owners the regulations seemed complicated, and they took the risk of ignoring their responsibilities in tile meantime. After some weeks had elapsed, the police took action against drivers of ears which bore the obsolete black and white number plates. This year the position is clear, and undoubtedly the authorities will he less tolerant of any oversight. There are nearly 125,000 motor vehicles in the Dominion, of which over 82.0(10 are motor cars.

The allocation of the funds of the Main Highways Board between the North and South Islands is based on the distribution of the motor registrations. At present about three-fifths of the money is expended in the North Island.

The contract- for the number plates, let to a Wellington firm, provides for the supply of 150,001) pairs ol plates at a cost of £18.750. They will cost the motorist its Gd a pair, as against gs last year. This is said to ho due. to the rejection of overseas tenders, the letteis “ N.Z.” have been eliminated from the plates. In many quarters. regret has been expressed that, letters indicating the postal district have not been substituted. The police, traffic departments and post office officials have frequently complained that the tracing ol a car is unnecessarily protracted because inquiries have often to lie referred to several postal districts before a- driver can be identified. fmler the new system of manufacturing the, plates of pressed metal, it is impossible to obtain a duplicate in event of loss. The regulations simulate ilia! a new pair ol plates shall he issued.