DECISION RESERVED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 17, 23 October 1942, Page 5

DECISION RESERVED

WAIMANA TAXI LICENSE

APPLICATION OPPOSED

Ail application for a taxi license to serve Hie districts of Waimana and Nukuhou, was lodged, by A. W. Ruff, at. the sitting of the No. 1 Licensing Authority at Whakatane last Wednesday. After hearing evidence for the applicant and also for the objectors thereto decision was reserved. In evidence, the applicant said it wfts not his desire to encroach |th,e areas served by the taxi services at Taneatua or Opotiki. There was a definite gap at Waimana, where many of the farmers had no cars to reach the main services. He produced a well-signed petition. The chairman (Mr E. J. Phelan); You will have to make a strong ease. You know the position we are in— reviewing the existing licenses, and here we are asked to grant a fresh one. Mr B. S. Barry said he represented the existing license .holders at Taneatua and Opotiki, Avho were opposing the application, on the grounds that the present services were sufficient. There were two licensed vehicles at Taneatua and four at Opotiki. A new one 1 meant the wastage of petrol and rubber. Applicant said he did not want a license to run all over the country, but merely confined to the district named. At the present time their was 24 miles of dead running between Waimana and Taneatua and this would be eliminated. He could challenge the present Taneatua holder that he had never met one bus in that area. As a result there were several unauthorised taxi services running in Waimana to-day. The chairman: We mast sec Inspector Delves about this. Inspector Delves: Perhaps he's one of them. This the applicant indignantly denicd and after a brief cross-exam-ination by Mr Barry, decision was reserved. PASSENGER LICENSE WANTED % APPLICATION FROM MAT AT A A. A. Kinley (Mr G. A. Suckling) who at present runs the school passenger service to Pukehina sought the right to take passengers; on the return trip by car to Matata which his driver was forced to take. A. L. Amos opposed the application maintaining that the two licensed taxis serving the area were sufficient. He added that he was going to astound the Authority, by mentioning that the Education Board had definitely turned down an offer by himself, covering the same run whereby £300 per year could be saved. He asserted that he had run the previous school contract for seven years without complaint, and accused the present holder of carrying nine passengers in the drivers car. In answer to the chairman's query as to win- tlie Education Board had turned down a proposition whereby it could save £800, objector was about to embark upon, what he termed some "shady business,' when he was cut short. Decision was reserved.