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The five commercial services operate over the following routes : East Coast Airways : Gisborne-Napier-Hastings. Air Travel (N.Z.), Ltd. : Inchbonnie-Hokitika or Greymoutli to Franz Joseph and Fox Glaciers and Haast-Okuru. Look Strait Airways, Ltd. : Wellington-Blenheim-Nelson, with the right to run to Hokitika as required. Union Airways of New Zealand, Ltd. : Palmerston North - Blenheim-Christchurch-Dunedin and Auckland - New Plymouth - Palmerston North - Wellington. .(he statistics for the year ended 31st December, 1936, shown hereunder, cover the first four services mentioned, the last service, Auckland-Wellington, not commencing until the new year Number of licensees operating regular services .. .. .. 4 Number of machines in use .. . . , . ~ jq Number of miles flown .. .. .. .. ~ _ _ 897 |Qg Number of passengers carried .. .. .. ~ _, 25' 672 Weight of goods and excess baggage carried (lb.) .. .. 49|397 Weight of mails carried (lb.) .. .. .. . _ 99,'713 13. CHANGES IN TRANSPORT LAW IN NEW ZEALAND. The past year has been one of great activity so far as changes in the transport law are concerned. Amendments have been made to the Motor-vehicles Act, 1924, the Transport Licensing Act, 1931 and the Transport Licensing (Commercial Aircraft Services) Act, 1934. In addition, the numerous Orders in Council issued under the Transport Licensing Act have been consolidated into three enactments, and various miscellaneous Orders in Council and Warrants have been issued. These activities have resulted chiefly from the implementing of the Government's road safety campaign, and also include provisions for change in the system for controlling commercial road transport. A summary of the various major provisions is as follows :— (a) Road Traffic. (i) Motor-vehicles Amendment Act, 1936. (a) Uniformity in Laws. A fixed speed-limit of 30 m.p.h. for town areas, the new offence of careless or inconsiderate driving, and provision for disallowance of local by-laws have enabled the traffic laws to be simplified and made more uniform. (b) " Hit-and-run " Driver.—The maximum penalty for this offence has been increased from £20 to £500 or five years' imprisonment. (ii) Traffic Regulations and Road Code. These regulations, and the Road Code supplementary thereto, replace the former Motor-vehicle Regulations and provide for rules to control and guide the activities of all classes of road users, including cyclists and pedestrians. These regulations were submitted to the local authorities, the New Zealand Road Safety Council, and other interested bodies before being issued, and many useful suggestions were made, and as a result were incorporated in the provisions. The regulations have now had a fair trial, and although certain provisions, particularly those relating to cycles and pedestrians, have not yet been fully enforced, it is considered that the regulations are resulting in the better control of road traffic. Steps were taken so that, with the co-operation of local authorities, copies of the regulations and code were issued to all motor-drivers when they applied for a license at the last relicensing period. (b) Commercial Road and Air Transport. (i) Transport Licensing Amendment Act, 1936. The main provisions have the following effect:— (a) Reduction of the number of Licensing Authorities from ten to four, and reduction of personnel of each authority from three men to one man. (b) Abolition of Transport Co-ordination Board as from Ist April, 1936, and vesting of its powers in the Minister of Transport. This means that the Minister becomes appeal authority fox. road..services, .and licensing authority for air services. (c) Simplification of licensing procedure by providing that in the case of applications for renewals, amendments, and transfer of licenses when no objections are received as a result of advertisement, the Licensing Authorities be empowered to deal with the application without the applicant being present. (d) Provisions for review of licenses by Licensing Authority when complaint is made of " cutthroat competition, or when other circumstances warrant such review. (ii) Provisions of Regulations. The regulations under the Act were reissued and fresh provisions made for the following purposes : (a) Abolition of the " five-mile " main-highway exemption, and of the exemption for milk and cream lorries in the licensing of goods services. (b) Application of standard maximum periods of driving-hours to all passenger and goods vehicles licensed under the Transport Act. t

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