Evening star., 1931-12-20
NEW AUTO TAX BILL
JOKERS ARE FOUND
Impossible for D. c. to OBJ
serve Regulations in
Street Construction.

The bill to tax motor vehicles by
weight, passed last week by the House.
contains sweeping changes in traffic
regulations which would make it almost
q physical impoSSbility for the District
to do its street construction and repair
work without breaking the law, an ex-
animation at the District Building yes
terday revealed
The law. besides setting up the rates
for taxing vehicles by weight, goes into
great detail in fixing the maximum
weights, lengths, heights and loads of
vehicles and provides that it shall be
unlawful for any person to operate or
move, or for the owner to cause or
knowingly permit to be operated over
any street in the District vehicles eX
ceeding those dimensions, weights or
loads.
Limits Are Lower.
In a great many cases the allowable
limits are considerably lower in the
present bill than under the traffic regu-
lations which they would replace. What
is regarded as much more serious, how
ever. is there is no provision for the
Commissioners to allow vehicles eX-
Ceeding the limits to use the streets, the
only authority for Commissioners regu-
lationS being limited to those consist
ent with the act. At present the En-
gineer Commissioner issues special per-
mits for the movement of very large
vehicles, setting the time and the routes
for the movement so as to cause a
minimum of interference with traffic
Such regulations are regarded as IN
dispensable for the movement of trailers
carrying concrete mixers and other
road building equipment much. Of
which, under the terms Of the act, could
not be used at all
The act increases the allowable
length of any one vehicle from 80 to
33 feet, but reduces the allowable
length of any combination Of vehicles
from IS to 10 feet 1t sets maximum
weight for any vehicle and load COM
bined at $4,000 pounds. The present
limit is $4,000 plus 10 per cent allow
.ance if the vehicle is equipped with
pneumatic tires. The act limits the
allowable weight to 1880 pounds per
axle. The present limit is % 400 plus
10 per cent additional if the vehicle
is equipped with pneumatic tires. The
present limit for any combination Of
vehicles coupled together is $4,000
pounds, but any greater weight may be
allowed by written permit from the
Engineer Department. The act fixes 40
900 pounds as the limit. and leaves the
engineer Department no discretion TO
increase this limit.
Width Is Extended.
The present regulation allows We
hicles 96 inches wide, but it is planned
to change this SO as to allow vehicles
100 inches wide. This is planned to
encourage owners of solid tired trucks
to change to pneumatics, by replacing
their present rear wheels with double
pneumatic wheels. The act, however,
fixes the allowable width at 96 inches.
which would prevent any increase by
traffic regulation adopted by the Com
miSsioners
These provisions are regarded as
particularly strange in contrast with
the policy Of the traffic act adopted
last session giving to the Commission
ers wide latitude in setting UP new
traffic regulations.
If the act is passed in its present
form, it was pointed out, many con-
tractors would be forced to get rid of
their present road building equipment
in exchange for smaller and less, eff
cient units, result which seems to
have little place in measure designed
to increase the amount available for
street construction work.