H.—4o.

E. VEHICLES ACTUALLY ON THE ROAD. The number of vehicles licensed on the register kept in accord with the provisions of the Motorvehicles Act, 1924, may be taken as a reasonable indication of the number of vehicles actually on the road. The number of vehicles licensed have been estimated from month to month, and the averages for the years ending on the 31st March, 1938, to the 31st March, 1940, are given hereunder : —

There has again been an increase in the average number of vehicles on the road, there being 18,081, or 6-5 per cent., more vehicles in use on the average than in 1938-39. Cars once more show a large increase of 14,500, or 7-5 per cent., more than the average number on the road for 1938-39. F. PETROL CONSUMPTION. The following table shows a classification of the manner in which petrol was consumed in the Dominion during the last three calendar years:—

3. ROADS. A. LIMITATION OF LOADS ON ROADS. It is now a generally accepted principle that the damaging effect of heavy vehicles on the road surface is dependent upon the axle weight of the vehicle rather than upon its gross weight. Until some two years ago there has been in this country a gross-weight restriction and also an axle-weight restriction in respect of all heavy motor-vehicles under the various road classifications. In December, 1937, the gross-weight limitation on multi-axled vehicles was removed, and this action has now been followed in respect of all types of heavy motor-vehicles, the limitations now being in respect of axle weights only. Furthermore, the maximum axle weights prescribed for multi-axled vehicles were previously considerably lower than those for two-axled vehicles operating on roads of the same classification. These have been increased so that they are now only \ ton less than the corresponding axle-weight limits for two-axled vehicles.

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Averages. Class of Vehiole. 1938. 1939. 1940. Number. Number. Number. Cars .. .. .. .. .. .. 172,899 193,733 208,233 Trucks, light, up to 2 tons laden .. .. 24,214 25,413 26,063 Trucks, heavy, over 2 tons laden .. .. .. 18,965 19,883 20,750 Omnibuses .. .. .. .. .. 622 667 707 Taxis .. .. .. .. .. .. 1,682 1,672 1,607 Rental cars and private-hire cars .. .. .. 601 703 729 Service cars .. .. .. .. . • 648 626 616 Dealers' cars .. . . . . . . . . 1,687 1,868 1,842 Local-body road vehicles .. .. .. .. 2,276 3,439 4,922 Government vehicles .. .. .. .. 2,374 3,118 3,929 Dealers' motor-cycles .. .. .. .. 135 135 133 Motor-cycles .. .. .. .. .. 19,947 18,627 17,164 Trailers .. .. .. .. .. .. 5,119 6,758 7,826 Passenger-trucks .. .. .. ... 1,190 1,457 1,659 Totals .. .. .. .. .. 252,359 278,099 296,180

I Estimated Consumption of Petrol. Calendar Year. I B Motor-vehicles- Other-i.e. Engines i.e., Petrol on which j Aeroplanes, &o. (Petrol Total ! i, w , • i on which Refunds of | all Duty was paid. Duty were made). Gallons. Gallons. Gallons. 1937 .. .. .. .. 82,110,905 7,339,000 89,449,905 1938 .. .. .. .. 89,306,192 7,590,000 96,896,192 1939 .. .. .. .. 91,954,671 8,027,000 99,981,671