August Registrations Make Good Showing
Page 45
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A LTHOUGH there was a fall of riseveral thousand in the total of new vehicle registrations for August, 1936, this year's figure being. 24,553, contrasted with 2,070 a year earlier, both goods and hackney vehicles showed rises, the former advancing from 4,553 to 5,057; the latter from 412 to 604.
An analysis of the petrol goodsvehicle returns shows that the statistics for August repeat the tendency which was to be observed in. the returns for July, that is to say, there were, with one exception, increases in all divisions of the motorcar class. Vehicles not exceeding 12 cwt. TOSE from 727 in August, 1935, to 833 in August this year, 12-cwt,-1-tonners from 542 . to 605; 1-1.0onners from 990 to 452; 2-2itanners from 1,239 to 1,574, the only fall being in the li-2-ton category, which dropped only slightly from 932 to 929.. The total number of petrol goods vehicles licensed in the classes above 2i tons was 382nrainly in the 2.!--3-ton and 3-4-ton divisions.
There still appears to be a certain instability in •goods-oiler registrations, and the improvement recorded in July was not 'con-tinned in the following
month, when 115 such vehicles were registered, as compared with 156 a year earlier. There were only two categories which showed minor' increases, these being the 6-7-tonners and 7-8-tonners. The largest number of oilers . were licensed in the 3-4-ton (35) and 9-5-ton (32} sections—the same as a year ago.
Included in the goods-vehicle returns were 34 machines licensed for trailers.
The electric vehicle gained a little ground in August, when 54 such vehicles were registered, 21 in the class not exceeding 12 cwt. and-25 12-cwt.1-tonners. It is interesting to note that one or two electric vehicles were regis
tered in the heavier classes. From knowledge which we have, there is every reason to believe that we are 011 the eve of important developments in connection with the electric Vehicle, In August last, the steamer drew a blank.
There was a big falling 'off in sixwheeled vehicles, both of the rigidframed and articulated types. In. the former, 42 vehicles were licensed., as against 72 a year ago, and, in the latter, 44, contrasted with 65.: There was little difference inthe number of eight-wheelers, the1936. figurebeing 21-.
In the section for agricultural: vans and lorries 101 registrations tocdt place, all of them being of the petrol type, as was the case in August, 1935, when 71 such vehicles were registered.
In the matter of hackney vehicles we find that the fall in petrol machines was completely offset by the rise in oilers; the former fell from 233 to 166, whilst the latter rose from 157 to 226. More than half the petrol vehicles were taxicabs. There were only two divisions in which 20 or more vehicles were licensed, these being the 20-26-seaters (20): and the 26-32-seaters (27). A big proportion of the oilers (138) comprised double-deckers, the only other figure. of note being in, respect of the 32-4.0-seaters (53).
There was a big advance in the number of traeybuses, this year's total of I12contrasting with 22 a year ago.
It is informative to note that, of the hackney-vehicle aggregate, 104 vehicles were six-wheelers, comparing with 22. The aggregate returns for the eight months ended August last show that 53,541 goads vehicle g and 5,897 hackney vehicles. were registered, fast year s totals being 45;771 and 5,31:9.'