HEAVY TRAFFIC DUES.

Shannon News, 16 March 1926, Page 3

HEAVY TRAFFIC DUES.

NO LICENSE—NO TRADE. ONUS FOR PAYMENT ON OWNERS. Unpaid heavy traffic fees, to which the following regulations refer, were coihmented upon by the chairman (Mr G. A. Monk) at the monthly meeting of the Horowhenua County Council, held on Saturday. The said regulations are as follow: — (5) Applications, for a license shall be made in writing by the owner in accordance with Form A in the schedule hereto. (6) Upon receipt of such application and upon payment of the licensee Tee the licensing authority, shall issue to the applicant a heavy traffic license in accordance with Form B: Provided that the licensing authority may, at its discretion, allow credit for a term not exceeding nine months for payment of any portion of any license fee. (7) Any heavy traffic license issued by any local authority shall operate within and throughout New Zealand with the exception of the Government road in respect of which heavy traffic toy-laws may have been made under Section 139 of the P.W. Act, 1908. (8) Every license shall be an 1 annual license and shall expire on March 31 in each year, tout in the qase of any motor-lorry in respect of which the owner thereof does not become liable to pay a license fee until a date subsequent to the 30th April in any license year the local authority ishall issue a license for the remaining part of the license year, tout in such case the annual license fee shall toe reduced toy one-twelfth part for every complete month toy which the period i@ less than one year. (9) The owner of any motor lorry or any person shall not use or permit to toe used any motor lorry upon any road or street unless and until a heavy traffic license has been obtained in accordance with these regulations. (The chairman stated that the engineer had been, instructed to take necessary proceedings for the recovery of these fees. The owners of motor vehicles,' who should pay heavy traffic ' fees, expected the Council to chase them, notify and generally run after them. The onus was not on the local body but on the vehicle owners, and no lorry had any right, to toe on a road unless it was licensed. As soon as a man purchased a lorry he should procure his heavy traffic license to trade with the lorry. The Council were simply interested in carrying out the regulation, and when motor lorry owners were sued it was not for the recovery of fees, but for trading on the road, without a license. The inspectors would go out this week, and any man trading without a license would be summoned. The local body was only a medium whereby owners could obtain these licenses, and, although the Gounty Council had gone, time after time, after these men, no notice had been taken. Cr. Broadbelt observed it was time' the Council considered the advantage of purchasing load-o-meters. The chairman said he had discussed the matter with the engineer and considered that after the close of the present financial year, the Works Committee should purchase two load-o-meters, and if a man was found with a 3-ton load when he was licensed only for two—he would toe fined for over-loading. A man was recently fined £2O for a similar offence.