304
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 11

(4) Upon the expiration of such seven days the controlling authority shall apply to the Minister for his approval of such classification, and shall forward with its application any objections thereto received as aforesaid.

(5) The Minister may approve such classification as proposed or may alter the same either in accordance with any objection received or otherwise, and then approve the same as altered.

(6) No classification shall have any force or effect until it is approved by the Minister in writing and publicly notified and the roads affected are designated as provided by the next succeeding clause hereof.

(7) Upon the giving of such approval the controlling authority shall give public notice, by publication in some newspaper circulating in the district affected, of the classification effected, and of the Minister’s approval thereof, and forthwith shall erect and maintain, at the appropriate places, such one or more of the signs described in Regulation 6 hereof as may be appropriate to the classification.

(8) Any such classification may, with the Minister’s approval, be varied from time to time, and the foregoing procedure shall, mutatis mutandis, apply on any such variation.

(9) Notwithstanding anything hereinbefore to the contrary, the Minister, after notice to the road-controlling authority and in the case of a main highway to the Main Highways Board, also, may declare that any road, whether or not any classification or proposed classification thereof may have theretofore been effected, belongs to such one of the classes set out in clause (1) hereof as he thinks fit, and upon publication of such notice in the Gazette such classification shall have full force and effect according to the tenor thereof. The provisions of the last preceding clause hereof shall apply to any classification effected under this clause, and the Minister may require the controlling authority of any road so classified to erect the appropriate sign or signs.

5. Use of Classified Roads and General Weight Limitations.

(1) No person shall operate any heavy motor-vehicle (including a trailer) on a road classified as indicated in Column 1 of the table hereunder—

(a) If its weight together with the weight of the load it is actually carrying exceeds the maximum weight for which a road of that class is by clause (1) of Regulation 4 hereof declared to be available (indicated in the case of multi-axled heavy motor-vehicles by Column 4 of the table, and in the case of other heavy motor-vehicles by Column 2 of the table); or

(b) If that portion of the weight of the vehicle and its load which is borne by any axle exceeds the weight indicated for a road of that class by Column 5 of the table in the case of multi-axled heavy motor-vehicles or trailers, and by Column 3 of the table in the case of other heavy motor-vehicles; or

(c) If that portion which is borne by the steering axle, or, if there are more than two steering axles, any one of them is less than 18 per centum of the total weight of the vehicle and its load.

TABLE OF LOAD-LIMITS.

(2) Notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained, a controlling authority may give written permission for any licensed heavy motor-vehicle to be used on any road (under control of that controlling authority and classified so as not to be available for the use thereon of such heavy motor-vehicle) subject to such conditions as to weather, speed, weight of load, number of trips, payment for damage done by such use, or any other condition whatsoever as such controlling authority may think fit to impose. Such permission shall be given in accordance with Form F in the Schedule hereto, or to the like effect.

(3) Every person operating a heavy motor-vehicle under a permission given as aforesaid shall comply with all the conditions expressed in such permission.

(4) Any controlling authority may, with the consent of any other controlling authority, whether or not in the same heavy-traffic district, give any written permission necessary under clause (2) hereof in respect of any road controlled by the latter controlling authority, and the provisions of the clauses (2) and (3) hereof shall in all respects apply to any permission so given.

(5) Any permission given in terms of this regulation may apply to any particular trip or to any number of trips or to a specified period or periods, and may at any time be revoked or amended by any controlling authority so far as it relates to roads under the control of that controlling authority.

(6) Any permission heretofore granted in terms of Regulation 8 of the Motor-lorry Regulations, 1927, and subsisting on the coming into force of these regulations, shall enure as if it had been duly given under this regulation.

(7) No person shall operate any heavy motor-vehicle carrying a greater load than the maximum load it is licensed to carry.

(8) The owner of every heavy motor-vehicle shall at all times cause to be shown on the right or off side thereof, in clearly-painted letters and figures not less than 1 in. in height, a statement, correct to within one hundredweight of the unladen weight of the vehicle as follows :—

Unladen weight, tons cwt.

(9) (a) On and after the 1st day of June, 1932, the owner of any heavy motor-vehicle shall cause to be affixed thereto at all times directly below, to the right of and adjacent to each number-plate issued in terms of the Motor-vehicles Act, 1924, in respect of the said heavy motor-vehicle, a plate in the form and description of the diagram No. 2 in the Schedule hereto, indicating by the appropriate letter under Regulation 2 hereof the class for which the heavy-traffic license for the aforesaid heavy motor-vehicle has been issued. Such plates (hereinafter referred to as “classification-plates”) shall be supplied by the licensing authority to the owner of the heavy motor-vehicle on production by the owner of a current heavy-traffic license issued to the owner, and the said licensing authority may charge the owner a sum not exceeding 1s. 6d. for each classification-plate. The classification-plate shall at all times be affixed and maintained in an upright position in such a manner that the letter on the plate is upright, easily distinguishable, and clearly illuminated when the number-plate is required to be illuminated by law.

(b) If at any time the classification of any heavy motor-vehicle is altered and a new license issued in respect thereof, then a fresh classification-plate corresponding with the new classification shall be affixed to such vehicle as aforesaid.

(c) It shall be an offence under these regulations to operate any heavy motor-vehicle at any time (a) without a classification-plate affixed as aforesaid, or (b) bearing a classification-plate which is mutilated or is not clearly visible, or does not correspond in class designation with the current license issued in respect of the said vehicle under these regulations.

6. CLASSIFICATION OF ROAD SIGNS.

(1) (a) The signs (hereinafter referred to as “classification signs”) to be erected in terms of Regulation 4 hereof shall be in the form indicated by diagram No. 1 of the Schedule hereto—that is to say, in the form of a circle coloured yellow with black borders, numerals and letters, and approximately of the dimensions in sign, letters, and numerals indicated on the diagram. The sign shall bear such of the terms “Class II,” “Class III,” “Class IV,” or “Class V” as may be appropriate to the classification of the road or portion of road designated by the sign.

(b) Every controlling authority shall erect classification signs to indicate the classification of all roads under its control which have been classified or deemed to be classified in accordance with these regulations.

(2) In every case the controlling authority shall erect the appropriate classification signs in such a manner as to give to owners and drivers of heavy motor-vehicles reasonable indication of such classification.

(3) Where possible every controlling authority erecting a classification sign shall erect the same at such a site, at such a height above the level of the road, and generally in such a position and manner that it shall—

(a) Not be a source of danger to pedestrian or other traffic;

(b) Be clearly and readily visible for at least 50 yards before reaching it to the driver of a motor-vehicle approaching it;

(c) Where practicable be illuminated by the headlights of approaching motor-vehicles;

(d) Where not incompatible with the foregoing requirements of this clause, or otherwise impracticable, have its centre at a height of approximately 3½ ft. above the level of the road.

(4) No controlling authority shall erect or maintain any classification sign relating (whether exclusively or not) to the classification of roads otherwise than in accordance with the requirements of this regulation.