Municipal and Official Handbook of the City of Auckland, New Zealand/Traffic Department
TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT.
The Traffic Department has been established primarily for the due performance and efficient control of the duties entailed by the provisions contained in the City By-laws, "The Motor Regulation Act, 1908," "The Municipal Corporations Act, 1920," "The Dogs Registration Act, 1908," and "Light on Vehicles Act, 1915."
While the organisation of the Department dates from about 1894, its inception may be said to date from 1878. In this year it was controlled by the Sanitary Inspector, who embraced it as a part of his Department. In 1894, Council realised the necessity of creating a Traffic Department to deal with the control of traffic and the issuing of licenses. A Chief Inspector was appointed and a separate Department established. Since that time the importance of the Department has greatly increased, owing to the advent of motor transit, which is large for a city of the population and size of Auckland, and to the extension of the boundaries of the City.
The Department's ramifications include the general control of traffic, registration of motor vehicles, bicycles and dogs, and the issuing and control of the following licenses:—Taxi and omnibus, heavy traffic (motor and horse vehicles), horse carriages, drivers (motor and horse), conductors, street stalls, hawkers, bootblacks, newsvendors, street musicians, porters, and the issuing of certificates of competency to drivers of private motor cars and cycles. The Department is also responsible for the control of theatres and places of amusement, and the impounding of stray cattle.
The system of registration of motor vehicles is by personal application and the issuing of numerals to be attached to the car for identification purposes. Every person driving a motor car must hold a certificate to prove that he is competent to drive and control a car. The minimum age is fixed at 17 years. The certificate is granted after the Traffic Inspector of the Council is satisfied as to competency.
Applicants for licenses, under all heads, obtain an application form from the Department, which, when details are filled in, is handed by applicant to the Police Department, which investigates and reports direct to Council, and in the event of the report proving satisfactory, Council forthwith authorises the Department to issue the license. Council exercises a close scrutiny of all licenses, and any delinquents are promptly dealt with.
Licensed motor car fares are arranged under two headings—(a) by distance, and (b) by time. Such is optional with the hirer:—
A.— By Distance.
| s. | d. | |
| Mininuim fare for 1 mile for 1 or 2 passengers | 2 | 6 |
| For every additional passenger beyond 2 | 1 | 0 |
| For every additional mile or fraction thereof for 1 to 4 passengers | 1 | 3 |
| For every additional passenger above 4, per mile | 0 | 3 |
The charge by distance shall not include the return of the car to the stand.
B.—By Time.
| s. | d. | |
| For up to 4 passengers at per hour, including return to stand | 15 | 0 |
| For each additional passenger, per hour | 2 | 6 |
| Detention for every 5 minutes or fraction thereof | 0 | 6 |
From midnight to 6 o'clock a.m., a 50 per cent. increase on the foregoing amounts.
The time of departure of omnibuses from their respective stands to places on their respective routes is regulated by time-tables approved and controlled by this Department. The scale of fares is 3d per mile or fraction thereof for each passenger.
Vehicles that ply for hire and are used for commercial purposes come under the category of "Heavy Traffic," for which an animal license is issued on application.
Motor and horse-drawn vans used commercially operate under the following schedule of rates:—
Fares by Distance.
| £ | s. | d. | |
| For any quantity of goods or portable package not exceeding 8cwt., the distance being a mile of under on the level— | |||
| (a) By horse-drawn van | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| (b) By motor van | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| For any quantity of goods exceeding 8cwt. and not exceeding 1 ton, the distance being a mile or under on the level— | |||
| (a) By horse-drawn van | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| (b) By motor van | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| For any further or other distance than one mile on the level, the fare to be charged by time. | |||
| For 1 horse van, at per hour | 0 | 5 | 6 |
| {{{1}}}„2 {{{1}}}„ {{{1}}}„ {{{1}}}„ | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| {{{1}}}„2 {{{1}}}„furniture van {{{1}}}„ | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| {{{1}}}„each additional horse, at per hour | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| For motor vans, at per hour— | |||
| Up to half-ton carrying capacity | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Over ½-ton, but not exceeding 1 ton | 0 | 12 | 6 |
| {{{1}}}„1{{{1}}}„{{{1}}}„{{{1}}}„ 2{{{1}}}„ | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| {{{1}}}„2{{{1}}}„{{{1}}}„{{{1}}}„ 3{{{1}}}„ | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| {{{1}}}„3{{{1}}}„ | 1 | 2 | 6 |
The employer shall have the option of hiring by time or distance, except for removal of furniture, which shall always be paid for by time, the carter being bound to use all reasonable expedition, and in all other cases the hiring to be by time, unless at the time of hiring the hirer exercises his option and hires by distance.
The rapid growth of motor transport in the City during recent years is shown by the fact that the registration numbers are now well on the 10,000 mark, and the Government has recently increased the numerals from 1 to 12,000. It is estimated that there are 6,000 motor vehicles of all classes on the City streets daily. In order to meet the requirements and convenience of owners of private motor cars, the City Council has set aside a number of streets in which private cars may be "parked." These cars are permitted to stand unattended in these "parking" areas day or night, but no responsibility is accepted by the Corporation in case of damage.
The City Council has established a system of "safety zones" for tram passengers, which has proved of public benefit. By-laws protecting these zones from the encroachment of horse, vehicular and motor traffic have been passed.