MOTOR-CAR REGULATIONS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1222, 2 September 1911, Page 14

MOTOR-CAR REGULATIONS.

Sir,—With reference to tho proposed regulations by our new motor inspector, it seems that lie is making mountains out_ of molehills about the brakes 011 the taxicabs. I don't think there were any that did not have one very powerful brake, and the other one only needed adjusting—a matter of a few minutes. He says frequent inspection is needed. It seems that Mr. Spry would like to have nothing else to do but riding about (testing) the taxicabs. There are about 2S, so it would just take him the month nicely, one each day; by the time he had finished with the last nno it would lie time to go on to the first again. What a joyful time ho would have at the owners, and, incidentally, the ratepayers' expense. I quite agree with Mr. Spry that all drivers, both public and private, should hold a competency certificate. With regard to notifying the inspector about repairs, does lie mean that the driver or owner must let him know every time ho repairs a puncturo or changes a sparking plug, etc.? About reducing speed to two miles ner hour when turning earners, does Mr. Spry realise what a ridiculous pace, two miles an hour is? The standing by-law of four miles per hour is quite sufficient. When do you see a liorse, cab, or express slow down to four miles an hour turning corners? And yet a motor-rar can stop in far le.s-. time than a horse vehicle. The laxicab business is not very profitable at present, and owners have to study economy. If wc have to reduce speed to two miles per hour turning corners, it will mean constant changing of gear, and will reduce the life of tho gear-box by about '.'0 per cent. Tho contents of a gear-box cost anything from .£2O to .£SO, and on a taxicab last from ouo to two years. So you see it would materially increase tho expenditure. The proposed speed limit of SO miles per hour should bo alright. It is the same as in Loudon, where tliero is far more traffic. Now wo come to tho proposed scale of charges. Mr. Spry says las. the first hour" 12s. fid. the second hour, and 10s. per hour after. Why, the reduction for the second and third hours? The 'taxi travels approximately tho same distance every hour. It doesn't get tired like a horse, and go slower. The horse-cab gets the same rate right through, so I propose that he should leave the hiring rate at 15s. per hour right through. Tho London iaxirabs charge at the rate of 12s. Gd. per hour when engaged by lime, and there is no grumbling there. Surely with our higher wages and higher expenses (which really means less value for a givon amount of money), 15s. per hour is not exorbitant? A car easily averages 15 miles an hour, which works out at Is. per mile—ls«. per hour for two passengers, and 7s. Gd. per hour each extra 'pas.senger over two. The detention rate should be 2s. for every r|uarter of an hour. If people knew they had to pav for kccpinn the "taxi" waiting, th«>y would not detain it, and prevent tho driver getting other work. Taxicabs uro expensive things, costing from .£.IOO to ,C7OO each. Take tho average at .MOO. At the end of four years this ear would liot be worth more than .£IOO, so that means JCIOO a ye.u has to bo put aside

for depreciation. A "taxi" needs four sots of tyres a- year, costing .tllS per set— aur.tlior JJI !0 per .year. I'ctrol amounts to about .ISO iifi 1 year; lubricating oil, i-0; grease, kiTOHOiK', and carbide, .CIO; annual overhaul costs about .C;!, r ); .sundry repairs and renewal.-, at a low estimate, ■EJi; drivers' wages. .CI! per week, .IjlSti. That totals up to ..COM, which has to ba earned in Die year to cover expends before the owner sets any interest at all 011 the money he has invested. The driver has to bo out all hours of tlies day and night, all weathers, and seven days a week to average JCIO a week takings all the year round. i.et; tho councillors who cry out about the extortionate charges ui' the "taxis" ponder over this, .iiicl sco if they would' earn to run a ear of their own under the same conditions. Surely the remedy is patent to everybody—"taxis" are, mora a luxury than a liecessity, and if you can't alford to rido in one that is not the owner's fault. When people sec exponsivo jewellery in a shop window vh icli they would very much like to huvo, but can't alford, they don't go crying about the extortionate charges of the jeweller. It's much the same thing. It is only fair and right that the owners' views should bo voiced in the matter before our worthy councillors pass any by-laws an one man's recommendation. It is practically impossible to make a tariff for taxicabs in Wellington, owing to Uio hilly nature of the town and suburbs. It would bo impossible to taku two passengers over Wellington Terrace or up Brooklyn at Is. per mile, and there are numerous other trips equally as hilly. Then, again, owing to the state of some of tho suburban roads, a triji that would be worth 10s. one day might: bo well worth 20s. in a week's time, through having to go over long stretches of newly-laid metal. Tho tyres oi _ a "taxi" are very expensive, and it is easily possible, no "matter how careful tli'o driver i=, to do £10 worth of damage to tyres by going over a mile or two of the verv sliarp metal which is used on the roads.—l am, etc., AN OWNER.