Registration Returns Still Irregular
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Official Figures for October Reveal Big Fall in Goods Vehicles, Partly Offset by Mild Increase in Hackneys
I N keeping, in the main, with the general tendency of the year, no improvement was shown in the number of new motor vehicles registered in October, 1937, the total of 33,844 contrasting with 36,906 for the corresponding month of 1936. A minor bright spot was to be found in the slight increase in hackney vehicles, which advanced from 631 to 679, but an indifferent showing was made by goods vehicles, which fell from 7,291 to 6,494.
The month-against-month fall in goods-vehicle registrations was 797, and the deficit is completely accounted for by the decline in petrol goods vehicles; the registrations of which at 6,144 for October last compared with 6,943 a year earlier.
Petrol Goods Vehicles Tumble.
There was not a single class up to the nine covering vehicles with an unladen weight of six tons, which showed an improvement, and, whilst the registrations in some categories for the two years showed little variation, in one or two instances the falls were distinctly pronounced, as in the case of vehicles not exceeding 12 cwt., which dropped from 1,403 to 1,161; 1-11tonners, which at 583 were 140 lower; and 14-2-tonners, which fell from 1,211 to 919. The largest number of vehicles was registered in the 2-2i-ton division, but even in that case the total of 2,171 was 56 lower than a year earlier. Above 6-tonners, only eight vehicles were licensed.
The goods oiler just about held its own, this year's total of 152 contrasting with 154 in October, 1936. As is usually the case, most of the registrations took place in the four classes A34 covered by the unladen-weight limIts of three tons and seven tons.
The electric vehicle introduced a brighter tone, and the registrations at 94 were nearly 50 per cent, higher than the total for October, 1936. Most of the vehicles (58) fell in the 12-cwt.-1-ton section. Under the heading of steam vehicles we find that three machines were licensed, all being 5-6-tonners.
Included in the goods-vehicle returns were six machines licensed for drawing trailers, which makes a poor showing against the 43 vehicles licensed for the same purpose in the previous year.
Six-wheelers Take a Fall.
A total of 83 six-wheeled vehicles were registered, and, whilst the rigidframe type showed only a slight decline, the articulated pattern fell from grace rather badly. The registration of 60 of the former and 23 of the latter contrast with 69 and 57 respectively in October, 1936. The general tendency of the month was also apparent in the registration of eightwheelers, which, at 23 (16 6-7-tonners) were four lower than a year earlier. • Out of a total of 1,352 exempt vehicles, 1,260 represented Government-owned machines, these figures contrasting with 930 and 834 respectively for October, 1936.
, Agricultural vans and lorries also declined, the licensing of 93. such machines having to be set against 112 for the previous year. In the 5s class for agricultural engines, 710 machines were registered, last year's total being 569. The total of tractors at 45 was split up between 24 agricultural and 21 general haulage, last year's comparable returns being 14 and 25 respectively.
Turning to hackney vehicles, there was only one of the three sections into which this class is divided which showed a fall, this being trolley buses. The .18 registrations of this type were well down on the previous year's total of 56. In weighing up the reason for this fact, it should be remembered, perhaps, that, in the previous month, 147 trolleybuses were registered, as against only five in the corresponding month of 1936.
Hackney Oilers Good Showing.
Petrol-hackney registrations advanced from 205 to 238, but in both years taxicabs were responsible for the greatest proportion. The oil-enginedbus figure for October, 1937, was a good one; 301 48-56-seaters were licensed, the total being made up to 423 by 47 26-32-seaters, 57 32-40-seaters and 18 40-48-seaters. The total of oil-enginedbus registrations for October, 1936, was 370, this including 111 26-32-seaters and 172 48-56-seaters. A rather significant point in connection with hackney vehicles is that no six-wheelers were licensed, whereas, a year earlier, 40 such machines were registered. •
• The total number of goods vehicles registered in the 10 months ended October was 65,014, 'contrasted with 67,129 in the comparable period of 1936, the hackney-vehicle totals being 7,331 and 6,981 respectively.