H.—4o.

(1) Passenger Vehicles. This class embraces all vehicles used for the carriage of passengers for hire or reward, and includes omnibuses, service cars, passenger-truclcs, school vehicles, taxis, and rental vehicles (excluding taxis in the four main centres, which are inspected by the Metropolitan Licensing Authorities). These vehicles are examined by officers of the Department specially appointed for the purpose. A certificate of fitness, showing the number of passengers which the vehicle is authorized to carry must be displayed within the vehicles. Tabulated below is a statistical survey of these passenger vehicles which are inspected by the Department as at 31st March, 1940.

(2) Goods-vehicles. All goods-service vehicles licensed under the Transport Licensing Act are examined by the Department's Vehicle Inspectors twice annually to ensure that they are maintained in a safe condition and are not being operated iti an overloaded condition. During the year an amendment to the Act brought town carriers and ancillary users within the scope of the Department's activities. The distribution of these vehicles is as follows :—

(3) Other Vehicles. The system of compulsory six-monthly inspection of all motor-vehicles other than those under (1) and (2) has been satisfactorily executed by 1,612 approved motor garages. The inspection of a motor-vehicle for a Warrant of Fitness involves a check of brakes, lights, steering, wheel-alignment, windscreen-wiper, rear-vision mirror, warning-device, and door-fastenings. The following table gives percentage of defects as revealed by the Inspectors :—

A perusal of these figures indicates the necessity for the test being conducted periodically.

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I GO r/i • •(!)(/) • I <8 ® S "§ o g • District. I 8 g 8 "f "3 § -g J | 2 "3 3 f| 5? § „• 3 ta -co oS go £ 5 -go Sg as -3 8 fco *> a | J> a £ offl - O en 02 02 GG HAuckland .. .. 262 183 54 177 43 25 314 228 196 .. 1,482 Wellington.. .. 273 184 13 11.6 43 38 312 130 103 .. 1,212 Christohurch .. 101 163 22 65 64 16 100 133 97 772 Dunedin .. ..100 94 13 75 19 13 109 103 28 .. 554 Total for New Zealand 736 624 102 433 169 92 835 594 424 11 4,020

District. Number. No. 1 : Auckland .. .. .. 3,150 No. 2: Wellington 2,951 No. 3: Christchurch .. .. .. 1,719 No. 4: Dunedin .. .. .. 914 Total .. .. .. 8,734

I Brakes. Lights. Wind _ Warn . Door . Period. ; . " screen- vision ing- FastenFoot. | Hand. Head. Tail. mg ' Wi P er ' Mirror ' 1)ovice - in S s ' Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per Per 1937. Cent. Cent. Cent. Cent. Cent. Cent. Cent. Cent. Cent. First .. .. ..30 28 70 17 16 17 6 4 3 Second .. .. 21 19 33 10 10 7 2 3 2 1938. First .. .. ..21 23 23 9 8 6 1-5 3 1-5 Second .. ..24 23 19 9 9 5 1-5 3 1-5 1939. First .. .. 21-5 17 18 9 7-5 5 1-5 3 1-5 Second .. .. 20 15 16-5 9 6-5 4 1-5 2-5 1-5