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Width of Tires Ordinance 1875

23. The Width of Tires Ordinance 1875

[18^th June, 1875.]

Whereas great damage is caused to the roads in the Province by the carrying of heavy weights on vehicles with narrow wheels and it is desirous to make provision for regulating the width of the Tires or Felloes of the wheels of such vehicles.

Be it enacted by the Superintendent of the said Province of Canterbury, with the advice and consent of the Provincial Council thereof, as follows:

1. Title.

The short title of this Ordinance shall be “The Width of Tires Ordinance 1875.”

2. Width of Tires.

Upon and after the first day of March 1876 the width of the tires of all the wheels of every cart dray wain waggon or other such carriage shall be as follows:- Drawn by four horses not less than four inches Drawn by five horses not less than five inches Drawn by six horses or more not less than six inches And any person offending against the provisions of this section shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding ten pounds.

3. Breadth of wheels may be measured.

It shall be lawful for any Road Board constituted under or by virtue of any Ordinance of the Superintendent and Provincial Council or for any person acing under the authority of any such Board or any policeman or constable to measure the breadth of the wheels of any cart dray wain or waggon or other carriage affected by the second section of this Ordinance And every owner or driver of any such cart dray wain or waggon or other carriage after such measuring and examination shall have been lawfully required refusing to permit the same or turning or driving out of the road in order to evade or avoid the same or in any way hindering or obstructing the same shall for every such offence be liable to a penalty not exceeding the sum of five pounds.

4. This Ordinance not to apply in certain cases.

Nothing herein contained shall apply to any vehicle upon springs used exclusively for carrying passengers or other persons and their luggage or for the carriage of Her Majesty’s mails or to the conveyance of any piece of heavy machinery which cannot be taken apart without great expense or loss.

5. Vehicles plying to have owner’s name painted on them.

Every vehicle carrying or constructed to carry goods or merchandise of any kind whatever for hire and every vehicle carrying passengers for hire in actual use on any road shall have the initials of the Christian and the surname and place of abode of the owner thereof painted on some conspicuous part on the off-side thereof in white letters on a black ground such letters not being less than two inches in length and of a proportionate breadth and the owner of any such vehicle who shall neglect to have such name and place of abode painted as aforesaid or who shall have the same so painted incorrectly shall forfeit and pay for every such offence a sum of not less than five shillings nor more than five pounds Provided that for every day that any such vehicle shall continue to be used as aforesaid and to have the name and abode unpainted or incorrectly painted as aforesaid the owner thereof shall be deemed to have committed a fresh offence.

6. Penalties may be recovered summarily.

Every penalty impose by this Ordinance shall and may be recovered in a summary way