Former Traffic Officers In Taxi Licence Appeal

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31083, 11 June 1966, Page 21

Former Traffic Officers In Taxi Licence Appeal

The fact that the appallant, A. N. Warren, and the respondent M. H. Loughlin were both former traffic officers was something unique among the Christchurch taxi licence appeals, said the Transport Licensing Appeal Authority (Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M.) yesterday. Decision was reserved.

The Appeal Authority concluded his Christchurch hearing appeals against the

granting of new taxi Ucences yesterday morning. He said at the end of the Christchurch hearing that the results of reserved decisions might not be known quite as early as usual. This was because he had a similar number of appeals to hear in Auckland next week.

Mr B. J. Drake, appearing for Warren, said that both men had been traffic officers with outstanding records, but too much had been made about the value of Loughlin’s experience in investigating complaints against taxidrivers. This did not ipso facto make a good taxi-driver. Mr Drake contended that what should have turned the scales in favour of his former traffic officer client. Warren, as against former traffic officer Loughlin, who had been granted the licence, was that Warren had some years ago driven a taxi for a year. Mr Drake argued that Warren should have preference over another appellant R. Humphries (Mr R. G. Blunt), because Humphries had already held and disposed of licences twice in the last few years. Mr W. F. Brown, appearing for Loughlin, said that his client had also driven a fire engine. He said that members of fire brigades were usually very reliable men and had an unparalleled knowledge of the city and had to be of very good character. Loughlin had

six years with the fire brigade and had a very good testimonial. He had also had 16 years with the traffic department “One would expect that to involve qualities such as reliability, punctuality, neatness of dress and courtesy,” said Mr Brown.

The Appeal Authority said that one of the biggest values would be the quickness in answering calls. For the other appellant Humphries, Mr Blunt said that this was an appeal against one respondent only, by a man who had owned two previous taxis. While it was accepted that such a person should not be preferred to a driver of some experience who had not held a licence, it was pointed out that the respondent Loughlin, was a man with no experience in the industry. In respect of this appeal, the question of whether Humphries had held a previous licence had little relevance.

An appeal by I. Lovelock was yesterday withdrawn.

Living Longer.—Pakistanis can now expect to live for 50 years on average, according to a statistical study in East and West Pakistan. The yearlong survey showed that men in Pakistan live longer than women, and that East Pakistani women live longer than women in the Western province, 1000 miles away.— Reuter.