H—4o

51. Taxicab Control Committees. —These Committees were abolished on 30th August, 1945, with the exception of the four metropolitan Committees. Of these, the Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin Committees were ended on Bth March, 1946, and the Auckland Committee continues in the meantime. They were set up simultaneously with the Goods Transport Control Committees, and they achieved the same objective through allocating passenger traffic in the taxi industry. Their personnel comprised representatives of the taxi interests and local bodies. All members acted in an honorary capacity and gave freely of their time in carrying out their duties. As with the personnel of the Goods Committees, the members of the Taxicab Control Committees have been thanked for their services, and it is equally fitting that appreciation of their services should be recorded in this report. , 52. Ancillary Users.—Operators of H plate trucks (vehicles whose gross weight exceeds 2 tons) for carriage of their own goods—i.e., ancillary users —have not required transport licenses since 6th September, 1945,. unless they travelled more than thirty miles paralleling the rail. These operators were brought under the provisions of the Transport Licensing Act, 1931, on 4th February, 1943, when petrol and rubber supplies were at a low ebb. 53. Transport Licensing Authorities. —(a) The licensing of road transport services is vested in the Transport Licensing Authorities. The four District Authorities consider applications relating to all goods and rental-car services, and all passenger and taxicab services excepting those operating within the four main cities. Applications in respect of these services come before the four Metropolitan Authorities. On 26th February, 1942, the duration of all transport licenses then in existence was extended as an emergency measure until the first quarter-day following the end of the war, or unless •sooner revoked. Early in 1945 this measure was no longer considered necessary, and all road transport licenses, excepting ancillary users referred to above (which were later abolished entirely), expired on 28th March, 1945, in terms of the Transport Licenses Emergency Regulations, Amendment No. 2. The Licensing Authorities, in addition to considering the usual routine applications covering new licenses and variations to or transfers of existing licenses during the past year, had to cope with the general renewal of all licensed transport services. This review was completed in the face of considerable staff difficulties, and it has resulted in the rehabilitation of many ex-servicemen into the transport industry. (b) The Licensing Authorities dealt with 9,270 applications for new transport licenses and for renewal, amendment, and transfer of existing licenses. Altogether 7,988 applications were considered by District Licensing Authorities, and the balance, 1,282 applications, came before the Metropolitan Authorities. A total of 8,339 applications were granted, comprising 954 new licenses, 5,641 renewals, 1,050 amendments, and 694 transfers. The new licenses granted were made up of 460 passenger-services, 113 taxi-services, 15 rental-car services, and 366 goods-services. Full details of the decisions by type of service are given in tables 14-17 inclusive in the Appendix. 54. Public Passenger-services.—The main characteristic of the public passengerservices during 1945-46 has been the tremendous volume of passengers. Figures obtained from typical bus concerns throughout the Dominion show that, on the average, three passengers are now carried for every one that was carried just prior to the war. The figures for the four districts show that the increases in the two North Island districts are relatively greater than those for the South Island. 55. Goods-services.—The main features of the year's activity were an increase in the volume of stock carted in the rural areas, an increase in the fertilizers carted by road to assist the railways, and increased activities in the towns due to expansion in the building industry.

14