A reduction of 484 ricshas was effected under the Council's reduction scheme as from June 1, bringing the authorised number to 9,500. During the hostilities 484 rieshas were reported lost in the wer areas. 379 of these were replaced by new model ricshas and the actual number of ricshas at the end of the year was 9395. 25,907 pullers were prosecuted for various breaches of the Traffic Regulations in the congested Central and Louza Districts as against 90,086 in 1996. 2,194 rieshas of the new model were licensed making a total of 6,316 of this type at the end of the year. In the course of hi-monthly and street insections, 17,698 licences were removed owing to various defects. rieshas were condemned as unfit for further service, to be replaced by new model vehicles. Of this number, 1,815 replacements were completed by the end of the year. 2,791 licences were suspended for various periods and the remainder were re-issued immediately defects were remedied.
The annual renewal of pullers' licences commenced On January 4, find 36,757 pullers renewed. their licences. A further 3,520 new licences were issued bringing the total to 40277. A large number of pullers left Shanghai without obtaining substitutes after the licensing was completed. and a shortage of regular pullers resulted. Arrangements were therefore made to commence license ing for 1938 during October and November instead of during January and February in the new year.
Renewals for 1938 were made subject to nomination of owners end completion of nomination forms issued ior pullers through owners and contractors. To prevent victimisation of pullers by their employers, bona fide pullers who were unable to obtain nomination by their employers were instructed to report the matter to the Ricsha Contro] Office and well founded complaints resulted in licensing without nomination.
Following the outbreak of hostilities in August, the riesha industry Renewal of pullers' licences for 1938 was commenced on November 15. The tota! number of pullers holding 1938 licences at the close of the year was 4,518 as compared with 12,703 licences issued during 1937
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.