MOTOR TRANSPORT

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 275, 10 February 1928, Page 9

MOTOR TRANSPORT

NORTH’S PREPONDERANCE INTERESTING STATISTICS Twice as many motor vehicles are engaged in motor transport in the North Island as in the South. Numbers of women own their own motor services and even earn wages as drivers. The mileage run by omnibuses is greater than that of the freight services although the number of vehicles in the second class is almost twice as large as in the first. These facts are culled from statistics of motor transport in the Dominion, issued by the Census and Statistics office, Wellington. The classes of vehicles and services covered were, omnibuses running regular services on defined routes, passenger service cars on defined routes, between centres, freight motor vehicles on regular routes between centres, motor vehicles on regular long-distance freight services for private businesses, and vehicles engaged in local carrying services but frequently running 20 miles from the home town.

The total number of vehicles was found to be 3,274 of an approximate value of £1,505,383, and of these 2,242 valued at £1,052,800 were in the North Island. Freight v.ehicles numbered 1,920, valued at £773,465, while buses and service cars totalled 1,354 and were valued at £731,918.

The total number of persons employed in the services was 4,435, of which 4,187 were males and 248 females. Those employed on the management and clerical side numbered 1,962 (females 214), and wage-earners totalled 2,473 (females 34). There were twice as many employees in the North Island as in the South, the numbers being 3,114 and 1,321. The total mileage run by the five services in November, 1927, was 3,244,206; 2 408,249 in the North and 835,957 in the South Island. The total receipts earned amounted to £163,042, a figure approximating to £2,000,000 per annum. Of this total £ 68,964 was credited to freight services, £48,657 to the buses and £32,219 to the passenger service cars.