H.—4o

considerable additional duties involved in acting as Appeal Authorities in connection with the impressment of vehicles for the armed services and the operations of Transport Control Committees. Their main additional function has been in dealing with applications for transport licenses in respect of ancillary trucks bearing " H " plates, which were brought under their control in March, 1943. Reviews of passenger and goods transport services running alongside the railway also occupied a good deal of their time during the year. 27. Appeals.—During the calendar year 1942, 218 appeals against the decision of Licensing Authorities were lodged. Of these, 118 related to goods-services and 100 to passenger-services. The following table sets out the detailed position for the year 1942 : —

Goods-services

Passenger-services

28. Inspection of Motor-vehicles. —All motor-vehicles operated in the Dominion are required to undergo a periodical mechanical inspection, and the vehicles may be classified into three main divisions : — (1) Passenger-service vehicles licensed under the Transport Licensing Act: (2) Goods-service vehicles licensed under the Transport Licensing Act: (3) Other vehicles. 29. (1) Passenger-service Vehicles. —These vehicles are examined by officers of the Department specially appointed for the purpose. The vehicles comprising this class arc those which carry passengers for hire or reward, and include omnibuses, service cars, passenger-trucks, school vehicles, rental vehicles, and taxis (including taxis in the four main centres, which are inspected by the Metropolitan Licensing Authorities). 30. (2) Goods-service Vehicles. —All goods-service vehicles licensed under the Transport Licensing Act are subjected to a thorough mechanical inspection each six months, and the maximum permissible load which can be transported in safety is inscribed in the certificate of fitness. The following table gives the number of passenger and goods vehicles which operate in the four licensing districts : —

31. (3) Other Vehicles. —All motor-vehicles other than those coming within the scope of the Transport Licensing Act are required to undergo a periodical inspection each half-year. The issue of warrants of fitness to these vehicles is undertaken by motor garages approved for the purpose, and some of the municipalities. The inspection includes a check of brakes, lights, steering-gear, wheelalignment, windscreen-wiper, rear-vision mirror, warning-device, and door-fastenings. 32. Gas-producers.—These plants are manufactured under license from the Factory Controller. The issue of permits to fit them was transferred from the Factory Controller to the Oil Fuel Controller last June, and since that date permits have been issued for 196 cars, 96 trucks in the North Island, and 35 cars and 8 trucks in the South Island. Declarations at the time of registration of motor-vehicles indicate that there are 1,339 cars and 361 trucks fitted with gas-producers in the North Island, and 434 cars and 146 trucks in the South Island. 33. Condition of Commercial Motor-vehicles. —Owing to the difficulty of obtaining spare parts and the serious shortage of qualified mechanics and drivers (due to the number called to the armed forces) to maintain, repair, and drive the vehicles, in conjunction with the considerably increased amount of haulage to be done, a large number of the vehicles are fast approaching the end of their useful and economical life, with an estimated increase on the rate of depreciation of approximately 25 to 30 per cent.

4

On hand T , , Licensing Under _. . 31st De- ~.° ? e Appeals Authorities' Decision Decision Referred Action at District. cember, during withdrawn. Decision modified, reversed. back. 31stDecem1941. ' upheld. ber, 1942.

No. 1 .. .. 6 25 2 23 1 .. .. 5 No. 2 .. .. 2 57 7 3 4 .. 2 43 No. 3 .. 13 27 5 10 2 4 5 14 No. 4 .. .. 5 9 .. 6 1 1 .. 6 Totals .. 26 118 14 42 8 5 7 68

No. 1 .. .. 1 13 1 8 1 2 .. 2 No. 2 .. .. 3 50 1 6 25 4 .. 17 No. 3.. .. 2 21 .. 11 2 .. .. 10 No. 4 .. .. .. 10 6 .. .. .. 1 3 Metropolitan .. 3 6 .. 2 .. 3 .. 4 Totals .. _ 9 100 8 27 28 _9 1 36

Number. District. ... . „ , Total. rassenger-service (ioods-service Vehicles. Vehicles. No. 1 : Auckland 1,374 2,797 4,171 No. 2: Wellington 1,152 2,488 3,640 No. 3: Christchurch .. .. .. 748 1,317 2,065 No. 4: Dunedin .. .. .. 468 952 1,420 Total .. 3,742 7,554 11,296