H.—40

Tabulated below are the number of passenger-service vehicles in operation in each district as at the Ist March, 1937 : —

During tie year seventy-two vehicles were condemned and ninety voluntarily withdrawn. (6) Goods-service-inspection Certificates. —After 31st December, 1936, every goods-service vehicle shall carry an inspection certificate issued by a Vehicle Inspector. This entails a bi-annual examination of borne five thousand vehicles, and it is the essential matters of safety that receive the principal consideration. The distribution of these vehicles between the four districts in New Zealand is as follows :— District. Number. No. 1 (Auckland) .. .. .. .. .. 2,000 No. 2 (Wellington) .. .. .. .. ~ 1,500 No. 3 (Canterbury) .. . . . . . . . . 900 No. 4 (Otago) .. .. .. .. . . 700 (c) Warrants of Fitness.—After the 31st March, 1937, all vehicles of this class are subjected to a bi-annual examination by a city authority, an officer of the Crown, or motor-garages approved for the purpose by the Minister of Transport. To date, however, the statistical returns indicate that the work at present is being executed mainly by the approved garages. At the present juncture over twelve hundred garages have been approved for this purpose and the issue of Warrants of Fitness has taken place smoothly during the past few months. The inspection of a motor-vehicle for a Warrant of Fitness involves a check of brakes, lights, steering, wheel-alignment, wind-screen wiper, rear-vision mirror, warning- device, and door-fastenings. Every garage which issues warrants is required to furnish a monthly report showing the condition of the vehicles when first submitted for examination. The statistical returns furnished by garages, &c., show that after the first month of inspection work 113,383 Warrants of Fitness had been issued. Of these vehicles, 83,328, or 80 per cent., required adjustments in some form or other in order to bring them up to the necessary standard of fitness. The percentage of the defective features which were revealed by this examination are given in the following table : — Items examined. Percentage of Defects. Brakes — Foot .. .. .. . . .. 28 Hand . . . . . . . . .. 26 Lights — Head .. . . .. .. .. . . 71 Tail . . . . . . .. . . .. 17 Wheel-alignment and steering .. . . . . 15 Wind-screen wiper .. .. .. .. 15 Rear mirror .. . . . . .. .. 4 Warning-device . . . . . . 3 Door-fastenings . . . . . . .. 3 From the above figures it will be noted that there was a relatively large proportion of headlights which required adjustment, but this was, no doubt, due to the change in the requirements of the regulation rather than actual defects in the lights themselves. The brakes are probably one of the most important items in the proper control of a vehicle, and, although the standard of brakeefficiency may be regarded as a very reasonable one, the figures shown above indicate that there was a high percentage of vehicles with inefficient brakes. 11. TRANSPORT LICENSING ACT, 1931. A. PASSENGER SERVICES, 1936-37. During the year under review the four Licensing Authorities considered applications for renewals of licenses which had expired, as well as a number relating to new services and also a large number of temporary licenses for services running to race meetings, shows, &c. Most of the South Island passenger licenses expiring on the 31st August, 1935, were renewed for a three-year period and do not expire until the 31st August, 1938. The North Island licenses expired on the 29th February, 1936, and the large majority have been renewed for a similar period and will not expire until the 28th February, 1939.

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District No. Omnibuses. Service Cars. Service lassengei- Total. Coaches. trucks. 1 .. .. 252 210 52 111 625 2 . . . . 193 179 8 47 427 3 .. .. 89 130 12 11 242 4 .. .. 89 104 17 6 216 Totals .. 623 623 89 175 1,510