MOTOR VEHICLES MUST BE REGISTERED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2834, 15 January 1925, Page 3

MOTOR VEHICLES MUST BE REGISTERED.

WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES. THE LAW EXPLAINED. Under the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1924, it is compulsory that all motor vehicles shall be registered and licenses obtained by January 31st, 1924, and a certain amount of difficulty is being experienced by owners in determining just what is required of them. Briefly it may be stated that the Act provides for — (1) The registration of the car; (2) An annual license which must be obtained before that car may be driven; and (3) A driver’s license, which must also be obtained. REGISTRATION AND LICENSING. The registration and licensing of vehicles is being done through the postal authorities and each owner is expected to apply at his local post office for the necessary application forms. The special particulars required when filling in forms (over and above the name of owner, make of car, etc.) arc the engine and chassis numbers, together with in the case of trade motors the gross weight unladen and the weight-carrying capacity. For the purposes of the Act, a “trade motor” is any vehicle used for purposes other than private use. When filled in the form's are returned to the postal staff at the local post offices, whose duty it is to issue the necessary licenses and certificates. SALE REGULATIONS. The fee for registration is £1 in tie case of a motor car of any size, weight or variety, and 10/- for motor cycles, this charge being only made once in the lifetime of the cai and being sufficient throughout the whole country. In case of a sale or transfer of a motor-car, however, it is necessary to notify the deputyregistrar (the postmaster) at whatever place the car may be registered, within 7- days of the transfer, and submit the annual license and registration certificate for endorsement. A charge of 5/- is made for this. ANNUAL LICENSE. The annual license may be stated to be a permission given to use a registered car on the roads, and must not be confused with a driver’s license. The annual charge for this license is 10/- in the case of a motor cycle, and a graduated scale for cars and lorries as folows: — For every private motor car £2 For every public motor car £2 For every motor coach or motor omnibus, £5 For trade motors: — (a) For every 1-ton truck fitted with pneumatic tyres £2 (b) For every motor lorry fitted with solid tyres £5 • l-c) For every motor lorry fitted with pneumatic tyres £3 For every traction engine £5 For every trailer with three or more ■wheels £3

For every other trailer £1 For every other motor vehicle £2 An exemption is made in the case of motor vehicles owned by local bodies, which although they must be registered, do not require to be licensed. Provision is also made for vehicles held for sale by dealers who for an annual fee of 5/- in the ease of motor cycles and 10/- for motor cars may use such for demonstration purposes only. NUMBER PLATES. A standard registration plate will be issued by the Postal Department to all registered cars, but these will not be available until February, nor has the price been yet fixed. In the case of \ ehicles at present in use, the existing plates may be retained for the time being, but the annual license to act as a certaificate of registration until the plate and proper registration certificate, which will be issued at the same time, are available. As has been stated, the price of the number plates has not ,yet been fixed, but in the ease of new motor cars registered, temporary plates will he issued at a charge of 2/6 for motor-cycles and 5/for mjotor-cars, these to be later replaced with the standard plate without further charge. A transfer from one provincial district to another will be made without extra fee. DRIVER’S LICENSE. The foregoing completes the postal authorities connection with the carrying out of the Act, but the driver of a car has still to obtain a driver's license before he can drive his registered and licensed vehicle. This is obtained from the local body at a charge of 5/- and is an improvement on the existing regulation inasmuch as no driver is compelled to hold more than one driver’s license, this enabling him to drive any type of mlotor vehicle, or more than one type in any part of the Dominion. All other fees than this including fines are, although paid to the postal authorities, to be applied to the upkeep of the Main Highways of the Dominion. The Act, as far as can be ascertained at present, does not interfere with any by-laws in force by local bodies, but this fact can not be definitely settled until some additional regulations at present being drafted are received. The motor registration period is from March 31st of one year to March 31st of the year following, bat on account, of the desire to get the Act into working order as soon as possible, it has been arranged that vehicles registered in this month will be covered until March 21st 1926, a period of 15 months. All registration must be done before January 31st, and motor owners are requested to register as ealy as possible in order to obviate congestion at the last foment.