March Registration Returns Analysed
Page 35
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THE number of motor vehicles registered for the first time during March, 1935, was 47,922, contrasted with 43,735 a year earlier. The proportionate increase in goods vehicles was not very great, the figure rising from 7,230 to 7,280, but, in the case of hackney vehicles, there was a more appreciable advance, the total of 636 for March, 1934, rising to 724 a year later.
Popular Goods Types.
In three distinct classes the petrol goods registrations were very even, these being for vehicles not exceeding 12 cwt., 11-2-ton and 2-21-ton, the registrations being 1,613, 1,524 and 1.655 respectively, comparing with 1,242, 1,871 and 1,408 a year earlier. Another class also topped the 1,000 mark, this being the division for 12cw t.-1-tonners, in which 1,040 vehicles were licensed, this being 29 below the figure for March, 1934.
In the 1-4-ton category the registrations fell by 67 to 604, whilst there was also a drop in the 2/-3-tonners (from 350 to 285), 3-4-tonners (234 to 168), and 4-5-tonners (67 to 52). In neither year were there any registrations in the divisions above 8-tonners, The total registrations in the petrol goods class rose from 6,930 to 6,953.
There were more dl-engined goods vehicles licensed in March last than in the comparable month of 1934, the figures being 179 and 157 respectively, 31 of the former and 50 of the latter being licensed for drawing trailers. The most notable increase was recorded in the section for vehicles not exceeding 2/ tons, in which there were 36 registrations, against 6 a year earlier. The 21-3-ton division also made headway, with an increase from 8 to 17 registrations, whilst -the 3-4-tonners also advanced slightly (44 to 48), but, in the next category, i.e., 4-5-tonners, there was a fall from 64 to 43 registrations. In the heavier classes there was little. variation from last year.
Although there were 35 steam vehicles registered in March, 1934, March of this year drew a blank.
Electrics Up Again.
The electric vehicle still' makes a good showing, the March registrations continuing the tendency revealed by the February returns. It is interesting to note that, of this year's 55 registrations (35 last year), almost half were vehicles not exceeding 12 cwt.
The total for goods vehicles includes 79 rigid six-wheelers and 84 of the articulated pattern, figures which compare with 195 and 96 respectively for the previous year, whilst 14 eight. wheelers were also registered. In the categories for agricultural vans and lorries there were 90 registrations—all in the petrol division—as contrasted with 67 in March, 1934.
The material advance which took place in the hackney-vehicle statistics was mainly brought about by the in
crease in the number of taxicabs registered, this year's figure of 265 comparing with 126 a year earlier. In several of the petrol classes there were heavy falls; for example, 14-20-seaters fell from 103 to 52, 26-32-seaters from 170 to 95, and 48-56-seaters from 57 to 1.
• Hackney Oilers Advance.
The, total number of petrol-engined hackneys licensed was 494, as against • 548 in March of last year. Of the total of 212 oil-engined hackney vehicles registered, 73 were 48-56-seater doubledeckers, which is almost double the figure for last year, although the proportion of this particular type in last year's total of 73 was appreciably higher. The biggest advance was made by the 32-40-seater, the registrations of which rose from 3 to 60. The total for hackney vehicles is completed by 18 trolleybuses—all of them doubledeckers—which compares with 15 a • year ago.
The tractor registrations remained almest constant, but the agricultural type progressed from 16 to 23, whilst the general-haulage class fell from 23 to 18. The registrations of ploughingengines (5s. class) rose from 193 in March, 1934, to 319 in March, 1935.
The 'aggregate returns for the three months ended March last , show that 19,280 goads vehicles and 1;438 hackney vehicles were registered, the cornparable figures for last year being 19,030 and 1,106 respectively.