TRANSPORT RESEARCH

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 344, 3 May 1928, Page 12

TRANSPORT RESEARCH

REGULAR STATISTICS TO BE PREPARED DOMINION-WIDE RETURNS (From Our Resuient Reports f./ W ELLINGTON, To-day. Statistics may reveal that tht transport organisation of the Dominion is ripe for wholesale change. This is the idea behind the proposal to collect returns of traffic throughout the country. Following the collection of important information by the Governmem Statistician recently, the committee appointed by the Prime Minister to study transport problems of the Dominion recommended the regular collection and tabulation of data., and in future returns will be asked of carriers, omnibus companies and others, covering the first month in eacii quarter. For the present quarter, however, returns will be made for May. which will be six months from the data of the first experimental returns. The regular collection of statistics , will be confined to organised services running over defined routes, and irformation concerning private business cars and irregular long-distance trips will be asked for only once a year. Mr. Coates, announcing this departure, says that ho wishes to make it quite clear that these returns will not bo used for any departmental purposes. Individual returns will be h«*i<i in the strictest confidence by th< statistician, and only combined result! made available. The Transport Committee statistic! gathered in November revealed astonishing growth of what was considered an infant industry-, and tabulation of the results of regular and systematic inquiry may reveal mut defects in the country’s transport system and disclose needless duplication and overlapping. For instance, on parallel roads and railways it may j possible that in some cases a firstclass road would adequately meet to requirements and save the taxpayer the cost of a railway. . The committee, which consist* ot the permanent heads of the Publie Works, Post and Telegraph, Railway and Marine Departments, the principal State departments concerned in transport, with whom are associated tli« Government Statistician and representatives of the Prime Minister’s effle* may be able to make important recommendations when the results of sever*! returns are available. It :_eems un* fortunate, however, that business ftn®* vitally concerned in transport and public are not represented on v* committee.