New Zealand Commercial Road Transport: A Short History of the Economic Regulation of Roads and Commercial Road Transport in New Zealand

Abstract

The Roads of New Zealand and the commercial transport which travels upon them have played an exceptionally important part in the economic life of the country in the last 30 years. While many books and articles have been written about New Zealand's roads and road transport, no publication seems to have paid particular attention to the authority or means by which the control and economic regulation of the roads and vehicles have been effected. An endeavour has been made in this thesis to present a short history of the economic regulation of roads and commercial road transport in New Zealand. Emphasis is laid on the means by which the control and licensing of commercial road transport in New Zealand has been effected. Particular attention is paid to the economic objectives of such regulation and the results achieved by the various Acts and Regulations which have been passed from time to time. The whole principle of economic regulation of transport is still very young having mainly arisen since the first World War and having become prominent throughout the English speaking world only in about the last twenty years. The regulatory control of motor vehicles and roads is traced in this thesis under three aspects, namely: (i) The regulation of commercial road transport by a licensing system; (ii) The laws dealing with the construction and maintenance of the roads on which the vehicles travel and the levying of the funds for such works; (iii) The laws and regulations dealing with road safety.