PER PASSENGER CHARGE

Evening Star, Issue 21746, 14 June 1934, Page 15

PER PASSENGER CHARGE

ACTION AGAINST TAXIS 1 Per United Press Association'.J NAPiEII, Juno 13. Arising out of a visit by an officer of the Transport Department to Hastings recently, when he engaged some sixpenny taxis, a charge of carving on a motor passenger service other than that for which the authority was granted was preferred against Ethel Newrick, Colin •A. Newrick, and Frederick Charles Newrick, before Mr E. L, Walton, S.M., at the Hastings Magistrate’s Covirt to-day. The case against Colin Newrick was dismissed, and each of the others was fined £3, with £2 4s costs. Mr E. H. Barrutt appeared for the department, and Mr C. Duff represented all the defendants, who'pleaded imt guilty, At the outset Mr Barratt said that there were licensed omnibusbs operating in the district, and the taxis were in opposition to no small extent with the buses. The regulations debarred separate fares being charged except by, licensed vehicles, and the evidence would show that separate fares were offered and accepted by the drivers of the defendants’ services/ The department had no objection to the defendants charging 6d or 6s per mile, but objected to the charge being per passenger. Mr Barratt gave evidence that he was charged 6d when alone one day and Is another day, and on another occasion each passenger paid OU. For the defence Mr Duff said that separate fares were not paid. The defence also contended that the vehicle was not a passenger service vehicle within the meaning of the Act. The policy of the defendants was that if one person engaged a vehicle the charge was 6d a mile, and if there were two or more then the charge was Is per mile. The charge was on the vehicle, and not on the passenger. This was the practice adopted by most services in tire district. After evidence had been heard His Worship said he was satisfied that separate fares were charged, and the defendants would be convicted. He was treating the proceedings as a test case, and would inflict a nominal penalty.