ONLY ONE LICENCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 513, 16 November 1928, Page 13

ONLY ONE LICENCE

TAXI-DRIVER’S NEEDS FLAW IN MOTOR VEHICLES ACT fFrom Our Own Correspondent i HAMILTON, To-day. A loophole in the Motor Vehicles Act appears to have been found by Mr. H. O. Cooney, of Tauranga, who defended a case in the Police Court to-day in Which Margaret Wright and J. Wright, taxi-owner and driver respectively, of Tauranga, were charged with plying a car for hire without a licence. They pleaded not guilty. Traffic -Inspector Courtney stated that he noticed accused taking three passengers to Te Rapa races on October 20. When asked, accused refused to take out a licence for his hire, and said the passengers were friends. May Ross, of Hamilton, told the court that no taxis were available, so she accepted Wright’s offer of conveyance, the three passengers paying Bs. Mr. Cooney stated that the Motor Vehicles Act of 1924 had been repealed by the 1927 Act, and the law altered regarding vehicles plying for hire. The position now is that in a case where a car is licensed in Tauranga, as defendant’s was, the Hamilton borough had no authority to insist on the motor-car having another licence taken out at Hamilton. Mr. Courtney said the case should be referred to the borough solicitors, if there was a technical point involved. The case against Mrs. Wright was dismissed, and decision A r as reserved against Wright. The apportionment of costs was also withheld.