2,000 Fewer New Vehicles in Opening Quarter
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QTATISTICS now available show L.) that, in the opening three months of 1939, new registrations of goods vehicles fen by 1,906, whilst, in the case of hackneys, there was a decrease of only 62. The major portion of the latter was accounted for by an increase of 47 registrations in the figures for March last. In that month, the goodsvehicle total, at 7,304, was 567 down on the comparable figure for 1938. Thus, it will be seen that, so far as the goods-vehicle side of the industry is concerned, the general unsettled state of affairs continues to be reflected in the registration returns.
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The goods vehicle fall was, naturally, mainly in the class for petrol machines, the total of 7,461 for March, 1938, falling to 6,891 a year later. The highspot in this category was reached by the 2-21-tonners, the total of 2,184 having to be set against 2,390 for a year earlier. As a matter of fact, the only division to show an advance on last year's monthly total was that for vehicles exceeding 12 cwt., but not above I ton, in which class there were 1,517 registrations, compared with 1,122 in March of last year.
Another section to top the 1,000 mark was that for vehicles not exceed
ing 12 cwt. unladen, the total being 1,191, but here, again, there was a fall on last year's figure (1,466). In the other two sections below 21 tons, i.e., 1-11-tortners and 11-2-tonners, there were 679 and 965 vehicles licensed, respectively.
In the heavy motorcar division, i.e., above 21 tons, there were 355 vehicles registered in March last., compared with 485 in the corresponding month of 1938.
Oil-engined vehicles followed the prevailing tendency, the 215 machines licensed contrasting with 234 a year earlier. The peak was reached by the 4-5-tonners with 51 registrations, being followed closely by 3-4-tonners, 2-2ktoners and 5-6-tonners, in that order.
With 81 registrations, the electric vehicle !showed a further advance, last year's total being 67; 49 of the machines were in the 12-cwt.-1-trin category.
Goods vehicles licensed for drawing trailers totalled 18, the comparable figure for 19341 being 26.
There was an irregularity, about the registration of multi-wheelers, two classes showing increases and a similar number decreases. The actual registrations in each division, last year's being given in parentheses, were as fol
low: — Five-wheelers (mechanicalhorse pattern), 31 (115); rigid sixwheelers. 86 (79) ; articulated six
wheelers, 56 (46); eight-wheelers, 29 (44),
The total for agricultural vans and lorries was 107 vehicles, contrasting with 102 in March, 1938, whilst under the heading of agricultural engines (5s, class), 769 ploughing machines, etc., were licensed. Ill view of the increasing attention being directed towards agricultural matters, it is somewhat surprising to find that the number of agricultural tractors fell from 19 to 6, although tractors built for general haulage were static for the two years (19).
Only by an interchange of figures in the total did the exempt vehicles show a variation between the two years, this year's figure being 1,781 and last
year's figure 1,871. Most of the vehicles were. naturally, Government owned, there being 1,662 this year and 1,725 last year to which this remark applies. Only one of the three sections into which hackney registrations are divided showed a fall, that being trolleybuses, which, at 58, were 87 below the total for March, 1938. Petrol hackneys showed the biggest increase, solely because the number of taxicabs rose from 264 to 381; this year's total for the division was 593, last year's comparable figure being 515. .
So far as oilers are concerned, the rise was born 403 to 457 registrations, the total for March of this year including '180 48-56-seaters and 157 32-40seaters. Included in the hackney total were 66 six:wheeled vehicles, last year's corresponding figure being 119.