Getting back to the original subject .... To operate a public vehicle (for hire or reward) in Tasmania you needed 3 separate plates as pictured ...the photo shows a pre 1953 set up ...1953 being the year we went from annually replaced number plates to permanent plates from general issue.
The big plate is the "general issue" plate issued to all vehicles ...this one being an August 1952 expiry
The 4 digit plate with Cart on the top was the licence to operate as a public vehicle ...in this case a cart licence allowed a vehicle to operate in one of the 8 areas set out by the Tasmanian Transport Commission who overseen the whole operation as well as ran the railways.
The little plate on the top right ... In this case showing the number 1 ... Was the base area the vehicle was allowed to operate.... And to operate outside this area cost a pretty penny ...of which said pennies were given straight to the railways to help them get close to not operating at a loss.
These areas were originally designed so that trucks (and busses) could really only legally operate as feeders to the local rail station ...
Then there were certain goods that were not allowed to be hauled by trucks at all (unless directly to the nearest railway station) ...not even within ones base area ... Wool being the most sacred of all.
As you can see ... It was surprising that we had a road transport industry at all under these regulations ... Which came into force from about 1925 and were finally ... After being slowly diluted through the 1980s and 90s ... Removed around the year 2000.
I'll keep dropping some sort NFI in here as I go ...and it'll be some basic stuff ... Just to keep you guys in the loop
Cheers
Werk