ISSUE OF TAXI LICENCES

Press, Volume C, Issue 29507, 8 May 1961, Page 10

ISSUE OF TAXI LICENCES

Discrimination Charge

In having bowed to the dictates of the taxi company, the Wellington Metropolitan Licensing Authority must accept the responsibility of having committed an act of discrimination against two Indians, Messrs T. Dahva and S. Mana. This is said in a letter sent by the secretary of the Canterbury Association for Racial Eauality (Mr K. Duffield) to the authority’s chairman (Mr B. L. Dalia rd).

According to reports, taxi licences bad been issued to the two men, and this action was commended by the association. said the letter. But no further good could be seen in the authority’s withdrawal of these licences and the issue of “special licences.”

“If you, as chairman, have failed to enforce the powers entrusted to the authority, then the public are entitled to ask the reasons,” the letter said.

‘ If the purpose of the authority is. to quote yourself; ’recognise the economic problems of the taxi companies’ and this is at the expense of committing acts of racial discrimination against individuals on the ground of race, then the association sees no further use for the authority.’’

The taxi companies had economic security by the mere existence of the authority, by the authority limiting the number of licences for distribution and thus limiting competition, said the letter. “We cannot see how your claim that economic conditions were the sole reasons for the granting of ’special licences’ which force the men concerned to work their taxi business outside the limits of the company, would remain valid. “Further economic security for the companies, by the authority committing acts of discrimination against the applicants, is entirely unwarranted and cannot be tolerated,” said the letter.