WARNING TO WELLINGTON TAXIS

Chronicle (Levin), 16 January 1948, Page 4

WARNING TO WELLINGTON TAXIS

WELLINGTON, Jan. 15. , A general warning that they must improve their services and that diseiplinary action would be taken againjt pfi'euding taxi drivers, was issued to Wellington taxi proprietors at the first meeting of the new Wellington Metropol'i'tan Licensing Authority. ' Representatives of tlie Wellington br-anch of-tho New Zealand Taxi Proprietors' Federation were present and said afterwards that they had no statement to make. Individually members said that thte attitude of the new licensing authority "had been a bombshell to them. In -ipening the sitting of the .licensing authority, the chairman, Cr. 0. A. L. Treadwell, said that because ox numerous complaints that were made almost daily regarding the eonduct of taxis operating in Wellington, the licensing authority thought it should warn those who operated taxis. The authority rcalised that some complaints ; were witliont foundation but it wa'S to b.e renienibered that. the .taxi . sefvicie ; was a/pubjtcv service" qliid 'the *;interes| of the public was to -be safeg'uarded. It seemed that so far those compames which operated taxi services had insuflieient disclplin&ry authority over their drivers. That power was vested in the City Council and he anticipated that the council would not hesitate, in. appropriate cases, to cancel or suspend licences fhot were abused. It was |he jqty of passengers to report offences or a derelietion of duty on the part of taxt drivers, At the momeut it was not proposed to refer to any speeilic cases. The authority had feason to believe that there would be a number of complaints to be heard and it would be improper t.o mjke any specifie Fofe?enee to them. Certain steps would be taken Apder tlie direction of the authority, to :-heck offences but it wa? UQt advisable to state what these etepa would be,. it ihould be rernepibered that it wa» ihe duty of taxi drivers to aceept fares no matter ifl what direction the fares desired to be conveved. There was reason to believe that some drivers refused fares unless they were goiqg to certain areas. That the aathoriiy regarded as a serious offenee. Double banking, too, wa? prevaleqt and steps \YQul4 be taken to elimjnate this.