CAR LICENSING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 May 1942, Page 3

CAR LICENSING

NO HINT YET OF REDUCED FEES ON ACCOUNT OF PETROL SHORTAGE. TRANSFER TO EE SUPPLIED INSTEAD OF PLATES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Preparations for the relicensing of motor-vehicles during June are now being made, and the minds of many motorists, particularly those who do not enjoy special privileges because their cars are regarded by the authorities as essential, are on the question whether the cost of relicensing will be reduced to compensate for the reduced running that petrol rationing has enforced and presumably will continue to enforce. Indications have been given that there is a possibility that the pre- i mium for the compulsory third-party * insurance will be reduced, but no hint of any reduction in the annual licence fee has been given. Relicensing will begin on June 1. Instead of new plates windscreen transfers will be issued, and when an applicant applies for a transfer he will have to present his unused petrol coupons for stamping. Thc windscreen transfer is small but very conspicuous. It measures 21-in. by 41-in., and is bright yellow with black lettering. At the top is “1942 New Zealand 1943.” Below, occupying the greater part of the transfer, is a rectangle containing in its left half a serial number, the date of expiry, and the signature of the Registrar of Motor-Vehicles, Mr J. G. Young. In the right half of the rectangle is the word “Car” in large letters, or initials indicating the purpose for which the licence is issued. These initials are mostly similar to the initials on the number plates. Car stands for private or business motor-cars, P for buses, T I for taxi-cabs, S for service cars, V for contract motor-vehicles, L for light trucks, H for heavy trucks, P-H for private hire cars, R-L for rental cars, Dlr, for dealers’ cars, E for vehicles exempt from fees, Gvt. for Government vehicles, R fox’ trailers, M-C fox’ motor-cycles, and D-C for dealers' mo-tor-cycles. The transfer is to be placed on the inside of the upper* left-hand corner of the windscreen, but a steel and glass holder is to be supplied for, vehicles without windscreens at a cost of Is 6d. The transfer’ is to cost 6d. The transfer is extremely tough and could not be easily damaged in being applied to the glass, a very different article from the playthings of childhood.. After it has been separated from its paper backing by soaking a few seconds in water, it can even be held in the hand and crumpled without becoming useless. When vehicles were relicensed last year a new sheet of petrol coupons was supplied in each case and the old coupons became useless. This year the unused coupons are to be retained by their owners, but they will not be valid after’ the end of June unless they have been date stamped, so when a car is being relicensed the coupons must be taken to the office for stamping. It is to prevent the owner’ of a car that is to be laid up after June retaining the petrol coupons and using them for another car or giving them away that the unused coupons of cars remaining in use are being stamped. Petrol resellers will be instructed not to accept unstamped coupons. Plates are to be sold as in the past to replace plates that have been damaged or lost _______