PRIVATE TAXIS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 20, 24 July 1945, Page 7

PRIVATE TAXIS

! OBJECTION TO ROSTER P.A. AUCKLAND, July 23. Strong exception to the direction of the Auckland taxicab control committee requiring private taxis to operate under the roster system was taken by a number of private hire licensees who appealed to the Auckland Metropolitan Licensing Authority to have the direc- , tion rescinded. The direction was made in pursuance of the Transport Control Emergency Regulations, 1942.

AUCKLAND, July 23.

"It is considered that this is an effort on the part of the cohtrol committee to circumvent the policy of this authority," said Mr. Wallace, who appeared on behalf of Johnstone Blue Motors, Ltd. It meant that private taxi owners would be under the same system as controlled public taxis, and this would interfere with their business, as they could not be operated day and night. Private taxi proprietors had been denied an opportunity of making representations to the control committee on the matter. Owing to the considerable discreDancy between the fares charged by private and public taxis there would be endless confusion and discontent on the part of the public

Representing five private taxi own-r ers, Mr. Haigh said it was never envisaged that the regulations under which the direction was made should be used to control private taxis. The powers of the committee were confined to public taxis. The roster would operate from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., but he understood that the demand for taxis from 1 a.m. onward was small.

Mr. Hubble, who appeared on behalf of an Onehunga operator, said he endorsed the remarks of the other counsel. The direction was a "brainwave" of the control committee after it had failed to gain control of private taxis by seeking amendments to the terms and conditions under which the licences were issued. The private rtaxi proprietors had been given no prior opportunity to express their, views.

Decision was reserved