“PIRATE” TAXIS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 April 1932, Page 8

“PIRATE” TAXIS

HIGH FARES CHARGED.

OPERATIONS IN AUCKLAND

AUCKLAND, April 5.

' With skilfully' designed colour schemes which can easily be confused with the colour's of legitimate 1,: coinpAiiles, a fleet 'Of between fifty and sixty' “pirate” taxis is, operating in Auckland 1 . The fardA more than double those of the cabs ’employed by' established companies.' ‘Members of the public have frequeifily- complaihed to the companies that they were overcharged, hut. with each complaint it had been pointed out that the driver of the car concerned had! no connection with the company, although, perhaps, the cab was very much similar to those belonging to the company. One instance of pirating was related by a driver this morning. Two girls who had been attending a. dance in the city walked out of a hall and asked: a legitimate driver how much he would charge to take them to Mount Albert terminus.. “Three shillings,” he said. The girls went away, .saying -.they l could hire a cheaper cab. “Here comes one now,” said one of the girls, who hailed a. passing car, which was disguised a.s a cab of a new company. The girls did not stop to nek the .price gpd were driven to Mount Albert termini, They were charged 7s 6d. . A common , practice of “pirate” drivers, when asked what they charge, is to say /‘meter fares,” which sounds reasonable enough to a. person who wants a taxi, but the maximum meter fares laidl down by the Auckland City Council (under whose authority taxis come) are 2s 6d for the first mile and Is. 6d for every additional mile, and those pre the rates charged by the “pirate” cabs.