Registration Returns for August Analysed A LTHOUGH there was a
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big increase 1—Kin the number of new motor vehicles registered in August, 1935, as compared with the corresponding month of 1934 (27,070 against 19,523), the changes in the totals for hackney and goods vehicles were very slight, the figure of 4,553 for the former contrasting with 4,577, and of 412 for the latter with 408.
The number of new petrol goods vehicles registered fell slightly, this year's total of 4,267 having to be set against 4,316 for August, 1934, There were, however, increases in certain classes, notably that for vehicles not exceeding 12 cwt. (727 against (338), and that for 2-2i-tanners (1,239 as against 1,154). The biggest fall took place in the 1I-2-ton division, from 1,098 to 932. The changes in the other categories were, in the main, of a minor nature.
The stable tendency for the month is also reflected in the registration of new oilers, the total of 156 for August, 1935, contrasting with 151 a year earlier. The most striking advance took place in the 34-ton division, in which the 50 registrations for this year compare with 31 a year ago, whilst the outstanding falls were to be seen in the class for vehicles not exceeding 2/-ton (from 27 to 12) and in the 4-5-ton section (from 47 to 34).
Included in this year's total for oilers were $0 vehicles licensed for drawing trailers, as against 32 in August, 1934. The section for steam vehicles was still under a cloud, only one 6-7-tonner being registered, as against a total of six in August, 1934, Interest in the electric goods-vehicle continued to be well Maintained, and the 53 registrations of this type for August last contrast with n'T in August, 1934. A point of interest is that a useful increase was shown in the 12-cwt.-1-ton category, which advanced from 7 to 17, whereas, hitherto, the section attracting chief notice has been that for vehicles not exceeding 12 cwt.
The total for goods vehicles includes 72 rigid six-wheelers . and 65 of the articulated pattern, figures which contrast with 85 and 57 respectively a year ago. Although • the figure for articulated aix-wheelers is below that of the rigid type, the former continues to gain ground at the expense of the latter.
For heavy haulage tasks, the eightwheeler is still making headway, and 20 such vehicles were registered in August, 1935, as against only 5 a year ago.
In the categories for agricultural Vans and lorries, 71 vehicles were licensed, compared with 55 in August, 1984, all of them being in the petrolengined class.
The outstanding feature of the hackney vehicle registrations was the large increase in oilers, and this year's figure of 157 is well above the 108 vehicles licensed in August, 1934. The difference in the totals is almost wholly accounted for by the advances in the 32-40-seater and 48-56-seater classes— the former from 3 to 52 and the latter from 27 to 69.
The advance in the oiler section was offset by the drop in the petrol class, in which there was a big fall in 48-56seater double-deckers from 66 to 9. The changes in the other categories in this division, were relatively nnimpor• taut. The number of trolleybuses registered was 22, as against 13 last year.
A total of 29 tractors was registered, 17 being agricultural and 22 for general haulage; last year's total for the two classes uTas 29.
The aggregate returns for the eight months ended August last show that 45,771 goods vehicles and 5,134 hackney vehicles were registered, the corresponding totals for 1934 being 45,697 and 3,739 respectively.