CITY TAXI CABS’ 20-MILE LIMIT

Grey River Argus, 1 June 1948, Page 7

CITY TAXI CABS’ 20-MILE LIMIT

WELLINGTON, May 31 The twenty-mile limit on taxi trips has now been extended to the four main metropolitan areas comprising the four main cities and surrounding urban areas and the cities of Hamilton, Wanganui, Palmerston. North, and Invercargill, and the forty-mile limit has been imposed on all taxis located outside these areas. Trips in excess of ■ the limits imposed on all taxis located outside these areas. Trips in excess of the limits imposed may be run only in urgent or essential cases and the penalty for running unathorised long trips will be a deduction of the petrol involved in the trips from the monthly allowance. Permits will be issued for urgent or essential trips from metropolitan districts and the four other pities. No permits will be issued outside these places, but taxis will be subject to a check by inspectors of the Transport Department. Announcing this, the Minister of Transport- (the Hon. F. Hackett) said that the restrictions had been agreed to by the New Zealand Taxi Federation and were for the purpose of cutting out long-distance joy rides in taxis and saving petrol. “I would like to emphasise that the only people affected by the restrictions will be those who use taxis for long pleasure trips.. Taxis will still be freely aavila’ble to the public for use in urgent or essential longdistance trips on account of sickness, bereavement, urgent business and such like.”