“UNFAIR”

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 167, 8 March 1932, Page 5

“UNFAIR”

INSPECTOR'S COMMENT plying private car for purposes of hire OWNER HEAVILY FINED "This sprt. of thing is most unfair to local taxi-drivers," remarked the borough traffic inspeetor, Mr. D. M. Ford, in the Rotorua Magistrate's Court yesterday, when bringing two prosecutions against W. J. Smith, who was charged with plying a private car for hire and with operating such a car without being the holder of a public car driver's lieense. The inspeetor stated that he had several times cautioned the defendaht, but he had still persisted in the offenees. Smith had been earrymg passengers in a private car and charging a fee which was less than was made by taxis and service cars. The inspeetor also pointed out that both the lieense and registration 'fees iri respect of a public car were considerably higher than for a private yehiele. A man using a private car, as defendant had been doing, had an unfair advantage. "There is a lot of this sort of thing going on in Rotorua," remarked the inspeetor. "We have stopped cars, but the passengers have been "readied up" and have said that they were merely getting a lift, or helping With the petrol. These cases are very hard to detect and I must ask for' a heavy penalty." The magistrate. Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., fined Smith £2, with costs on the lieense charge, and* £10, with costs, on the charge of plying a private car for hire.