Registration Returns for Northern Ireland.
Page 63
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THE increasing popularity of the commercial motor in Northern Ireland is eloquently substantiated in the statistical statement recently issued by the Ulster Ministry of Home Affairs. This statement is a return of all the motor vehicles registered for the first time between March and November, 1927, and it shows that those in the commercial class are greater in number than the newly registered motorcycles and almost half as many as the new cars.
Those visiting Northern Ireland recently have found that the popularity of the bus and lorry is increasing by leaps and bounds. There are daily bus services operating in all parts of thi province and in the more thickly populated districts buses run at half-hourly intervals between the more important towns.
The section of the statement by the Ministry of Home Affairs dealing with newgoods vehicles shows that the great majority of those purchased between last March and November of the past year was of the light-delivery class. -Vehicles to the number of 352 were between the 12-cwt. and 1-ton 5-cwt. categories, and the number of machines registered in the various classes was as follows i—Up to 2 tons 5 cwt., 50; up to 3 tons 5 cwt., 25; up to 4 tons 5 cwt., 26; up to 5 tons 5 cwt., 8; and over 5 tons 5 cwt., 2; these making a total of 472 together with the lighter vehicles.
The number of road locomotives and agricultural tractors registered was 12, and there were 27 agricultural engines at the 5s. rate and 52 vehicles exempt from the payment of taxation, these including ambulances, Government-operated vehicles and road rollers. Vehicles carrying from six to 40 passengers are dealt with in the hackney section, which shows that the 26-32 seater bus is by far the most widely used type. There were 122 of these registered as against 66 vehicles in the 6-seater class ; 10 in the 6-14-seater class ; 44 in the 14-20-seater class ; 6 in the 20-26-seater class, and 15 in the 3240-seater class. A total of 261 new hackney vehicles was registered and the aggregate of goods and hackney vehicles, tractors, etc., was 817.
It is notable that as many vehicles were registered in Belfast as in the rest of the six northern counties. Of the goods vehicles, 208 were registered with the Belfast Borough Council and, of the hackney vehicles, 144 were registered with the same authority. This is owing to the bulk of the traffic being from Belfast.