MOTOR FLEET

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 July 1939, Page 9

MOTOR FLEET

ANNUAL RELICENSING FIGURES. EXPANSION RATE WELL MAINTAINED. The number of motor vehicles licensed at June 30, following the annual relicensing process, shows that there has been an increase compared with the previous year, of 21,508 vehicles, which is equal to 9.16 per cent. So substantial an increase in one year is all the more marked when it is realised how these number have been rapidly expanding for many years. The latest total is higher than that of six years ago by 110.127 vehicles, the presen! number of licensed vehicles being 75 per cent in excess of those of June 30 1933.

Cars have shown the most important increase in this six-year period, • today’s total being 86,923 or over 87 pel cent higher. There has been an in • crease of 50 per cent in light and heavy trucks during the same period. Ar. analysis of the various types of motor vehicle licensed as at June 30, with r comparison for the same date of 1933 is as follows: —

The substantial advance shown in the numbers of unclassified motor vehicles (which include caravans anc trailers) is partly due to an increase in the registrations of motor vehicle. 1 used for agricultural arid road construction purposes. A decline in the number of motoi cycles has been noted in the official returns of the Motor Registration Branch of the Post Office for several years and is again demonstrated in the latest figures, decreases being reported in every licensing district. The total disclosed following completion of the annual relicensing doe? not represent the full extent of the Dominion’s motor licet, as there arc 56.827 dormant registrations on the 1938-39 register alone. As most of these will probably be relicensed in duo course, the actual total exceeds 312,090.

Type Cais .. .. Trucks .. Others .. Cycles .. Number .. 186 502 .. 40,991 .. 17.250 .. 11,540 Percentage Increase 17.390 2.039 3.331 1.302* Increase 10.28 5.37 23.93 10.14* Totals .. .. 256,2113 21,508 9.16 "Decrease.