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APPENDIX E.
MOTOR SERVICE.
I beg to report on the above for its twelfth complete year ending March 31st, 1926.
There are ten motor vehicles used in connection with this service, seven of which came into
use December, 1913, one in April, 1924, one in March, 1925, and one in July, 1925. Up to the end of
March, 1926, these ten vehicles had covered a total of 723,497 miles.
A ten year loan was obtained to purchase the first seven cars and the last payment in respect
of this loan was made in September, 1923. The last three cars were purchased out of revenue. All
the cars are in service and working daily. There is no reserve car. All repairs are done at the garage.
The routes of the School Ambulances have now been increased to 12, 11 of which are for Physically
and Mentally Defective children and one for Blind Children. Approximately 140 children are
carried daily to and from school. 25,949 Calls have now been made for Ambulances and 13,494
houses have been disinfected since the Motor Service was inaugurated in 1913.
During the year under review the chief work has been :—
Conveyance of Ambulance patients, Physically Defective, Mentally Defective, Blind and Stammering
Children, and Children to Laundry Classes.
Disinfection including the removal and return of bedding and other articles ; carriage of clinic
aundry ; and
Certain work for other departments.
A day and night service is in operation for Ambulance calls.
The personnel of the service consists of :—
1 Mechanic Superintendent and Engineer.
1 Assistant Engineer.
12 Motor Drivers.
1 Disinfector.
The working hours are 47 per week.
The service, in addition to the foregoing, undertakes the following work :—
Repairs to three vehicles in the Engineers' Department, and four fire engines, and Engineering
work of Municipal Hospital in respect of which an Assistant Engineer is employed.
Calls for the Ambulance are heavy, V.A.D. calls alone occupying a considerable time. Not
infrequently it occurs that several cases are waiting for removal. In these circumstances, as far as
possible, the most serious cases are removed first. A certain number of accident calls have not been
answered owing to the car or driver being engaged, and lack of means of calling assistance.
The following table shows the number of miles run under the various headings since the inception
of the service :—