ROAD FACILITIES

Hokitika Guardian, 21 July 1930, Page 7

ROAD FACILITIES

HUGE ANNUAL COST. RURAL CLASSIFICATION NEEDED. WELLINGTON, July 17. The necessity for a comprehensive and reasonable classification of rural roads in New Zealand was emphasised by the Hon W. B. Taverner, Minister of Transport in an interview with a “Times” correspondent to-day, in view of the fact established as a result of a special investigation that the country's annual road bill is between £7,000,000 and £8,000,000. Mr Taverner expressed the opinion that such a classification would have the effect of reducing maintenance and construction costs, at the same time making ample provision for all reasonable traffic requirements. “I have communicated with about forty of the county councils in the South Island seeking their co-operation in securing uniform road classification, and urging that prompt action be taken where it may be possible to do so,” he said. “Of over 20,003 miles of rural roads in the South Island more than 18,000 miles are either unclassified or classified as first class. That is over 90 per cent, of the roads are open for gross loads up to ten tons. “When it is remembered that of the 8200 motor trucks registered in the South Island, only 147 or 18 per cent, are registered for this gross load it will be »soen how much in excess of the traffic requirements the road facilities are. If this state of affairs is allowed to continue it is only reasonable to assume that it will engender heavier and heavier traffic, and with heavier traffic units the maintenance and con struction costs will immediately show a proportionate rise. The county ratepayer, motorist and general taxpayer are all being subjected to an ever-in-creasing burden in the form of in. creased rates, the petrol tax, heavy traffic fee** and increased taxes to meet the increasing cost of road maintenance and construction, and it is essential that every reasonable and economic effort should be made to keep road maintenance and comlfruction costs as low as possible. “The classification of roads is considered under the three following head: The loads the road is capable of carrying, the trail-snort requirements of the areas served by the road, or other transport facilities available such as railways, etc.”