Licensing Returns for July Reveal Increased Buying
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THE most striking feature of the new.. vehicle registration returns for July, 1936, is the large increase in the number of petrol goods vehicles licensed, this year's total of 6,681 contrasting with 5,525 a year ago, So far as all vehicles are concerned, the total of new registrations in the month was 40,989, compared with 35,937 in July, 1935, the goods-vehicle proportion being 6,988, against 5,840 a year earlier, whilst the number of hackney vehicles vas also -higher at 919; last year's figure was 774.
Analysing the petrol goods-vehicle figures, we find that, with one exception, there were increases in all the major classes. For example, vehicles not exceeding 12 cwt. rose from 1,005 to 1,393, 12-cwt.-1-tonners advanced from 717 to 891, 1-11-tonners increased by 148 to 651, whilst the 2-21-tonners showed a good rise from 1,549 to 2,075. The only fall in the motorcar classes took place in the 11-2-ton division, this year's registration's of 1,178 having to be set against 1,242 for July', 1935.
In the heavy motorcar division there were gains in some sections and losses in others, the total in all classes being 487 for July, 1936; contrasted with 504 a year earlier. Neither this year nor last year were there registrations of vehicles with an unladen weight exceeding 9 tons.
Goods oilers have come into the limelight a little more Prominently and, after several monthly falls, it is worth noting that the July registrations at 155 were well ahead of the comparable figure for July, 1935. The two categories which showed the greatest advance were the 5-6-tonners and the 6-7-tonners, although the largest number (47) was licensed. in the 3-4-ton division, as was the case in the same month of last year.
, Included in the goods-vehicle returns were 18 machines licensed for drawing trailers, compared with 32 in the previous year. .
For many months past the electric vehicle has put up a good showing, but, in July last,' there were only 49 vehicles of this type_ registered,' contrasted with 70 a year earlier, all of them being in the three classes up to
2 tons unladen weight. •
At six, the steam-vehicle registra . tions were the same as for the corresponding month of 1935.
The number of six-wheeled vehicles registered was precisely the same in both the rigid and articulated classes (54 in each), but the .figures for the two sections were well under last year's totals, although the biggest proportionate fall was in the articulated category.
The eight-wheeler .continues to make headway and, out of 36 such vehicles licensed in July last, 25 were in the 6-7-ton division; July of last year saw the registration of 15 eight-wheelers, seven of them with an unladen weight of 6-7 tons.
In the section for agricultural vans and lorries, 83 registrations took place, all the vehicles being of the petrol type —a comment which applies to last year's returns, when the total was 99.
Corning to hackney vehicles, both
petrol machines and oilers made progress, the former advancing from 444 to 532 and the latter from 305 to 373. In the petrol Class, 282 of the registrations were taxicabs, whilst other sections which figured prominently were 14-20-seaters (60) ; 20-26-seaters (8)) ; 26-32-seaters (01); and 48-50seaters (39). Most of the oilers licensed were in the 48-56-seater doubledeck class, the total being 205. Good returns were shown by the 26-32-seater division (63) and the 32-40-seater section (75). There was a setback in the number of trolley-buses licensed, which, at 14, contrasted with 25 in
July, 1935. In both years all the vehicles were double-deckers.
The hackney six-wheeler would appear to be losing some of its popularity, as only nine passenger vehicles of this type were registered, last year's figure being 34.
The aggregate returns for the seven months ended July, 1936, show that 48,484 goods vehicles and 5,393 hackney vehicles were registered, last year's corresponding,. returns being 41,218 and 4,902.