H.—4o

13. In order to ensure that only suitable, persons from bodies outside the schools may participate, a Committee was set up in each education district to approve the Instructors. This Committee consists of the. Chairman and Secretary of the Education Board, the Senior Inspector of Schools, and the Transport Department's Instructor for the district. 14. At the present, time some forty-six local instructors have been approved, either provisionally or outright, by the various Committees. Each such Instructor lias for his guidance a syllabus of instruction which has been approved by the Education Department. 15. As well as giving instruction himself the Departmental District Instructor guides and supervises the work of the part-time Instructors. At the end of each school term the Education Board is given a report covering the nature and extent of all the outside instruction given, and also particulars of any road accidents involving school pupils. 16. School Patrols.—Draft regulations providing for a uniform system of school patrols have been •circulated to municipalities and motor organizations and to the Education Boards for their views. The proposals are now Hearing finality following the comments and suggestions received. 17. Traffic Offences. —Traffic Inspectors attached to the Department reported 5,288 breaches of the traffic laws during the calendar year 1943. Of this number, 1,797, or over one-third, received warnings and 3,491 were proceeded against in the Courts. Convictions were recorded in 3,338 cases, the charges were withdrawn in 79 cases, and in the balance of 74 instances the cases were dismissed. 18. The following figures show comparative figures relating to traffic offences over the last four years : —

19. During the past year the Traffic Inspectors have been directed to pay particular attention to offences involving speeding and overloading of commercial vehicles, because both classes of offence ■cause heavy tire wastage. 20. Goods Transport Control Committees. —These Committees, which were set up in the middle of 1942, continued functioning during the year. Their functions as set out in the Transport Control Emergency Regulations 1942, are — (a) To receive orders for the carriage within their respective districts of goods or stock by motor-vehicle ; and (b) To allocate such orders among available carriers, having regard to the necessity of conserving motor-vehicles and supplies of petrol and tires and the desirability of making a fair and equitable allocation among the available carriers. 21. The Committees continued to do useful work during the year and were responsible for substantial savings in truck-mileage, petrol, and tires. The four District Transport Licensing Authorities were called 5 upon to determine a number of appeals against the decisions of Committees. 22. The regulations provide that the Minister of Transport may direct the Committees on matters of policy, and the principle direction given during the year was in respect to the cartage of stock, which was as follows : — Stock Code 1 I ocal Committees to have discretion in regard to lorrying fat lambs after taking all factors into consideration, including that of railway-trucks supplies, and with a view to avoiding short hauls by rail and long hauls by road. It is sueaested that hauls over 20 miles by road be avoided where rail transport is practicable. 0 Store lambs may be lorried to and from the nearest saleyards or rail at the discretion of the Local Committees. S No sheep to be lorried except up to twenty to complete a final load of lambs. In exceptional circumstances ewes' with voung lambs at foot may be lorried by permit from Local Committees, but, in addition, the lorrying of fat sheep be left to the discretion of Local Committees, who should have regard to the condition of the roads and the availability of other facilities. ... -in i <- ] 1 • 1 i 1 4 Provided alternative transport is impracticable or unavailable, rams, and stud ewes may be carried by lorry to or from a stud-sheep sale or from farm to farm, otherwise they must be lorried to or from the nearest railways trucking station. 5. No cattle may be lorried except — la) Bulls other than boners and potters ; _ (b) Dairy cows in milk or close to profit for a distance over 5 miles, subject to a permit being obtained from the Local Committee. . (> Bobby calves and pigs may be lorried subject to conditions laid down by Local Committees. These conditions should include provision of adequate facilities for loading at the roadside, and should not conflict with the general direction to use rail transport where practicable. . ,i V» i ± t4. c 1 J( , • . , 7 Owners of car trailers and light trucks carrying I. plates may cart to or from any saleyard their own stock, but onlv within their own petrol licenses. (N.B.—Where the Committee is of the opinion that this provision is being abused or is contrary to the efficient operation of the Control Committee this privilege may be withdrawn.) 8 Vealers may be lorried only by permit from Local Committee. 9' It is recognized that conditions vary from district to district and that special or exceptional conditions may arise at anv time Committees are authorized to exercise their discretion in dealing with these cases in a fair and reasonable manner, regard always being had for the maximum conservation of tires, and the necessity for avoiding deterioration of stock while in transit. 23. Taxi Control Committees.—These Committees were also set up in 1942 and continued their functions during the vear. Owing to the severity of the petrol restrictions on private cars there was a substantial increase "in the demand for taxis, and the main'problem of the Committees has been to provide for essential as against non-essential work. Owing to a heavy influx of troops in Auckland and Wellington, the taxi position in these cities was particularly acute for some months, and the Minister of Transport issued special directions to meet the situation. 24. Zoning of Deliveries by Motor-vehicle.—The arrangement of zoning schemes for collection and delivery services was continued during the year. Valuable co-operation and assistance has been received from trades in arranging schemes, and wherever possible schemes have been planned so that,

3

Year ended Offences Prosecuted Convicted Charges Charges Offenders. 31st March, reported. ITosecuted. uonvicteci. dismissed. withdrawn. warned. 1941 .. 7,491 6,032 5,758 j 108 166 2,431 1942 .. 3,680 2,615 2,475 I 52 88 1,125 1943 .. 3,961 2,463 2,363 I 38 62 1,498 1944 .. 5,288 3,491 3,338 , 74 79 1,797 I i '. .