MASTERTON TAXIS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 August 1940, Page 4

MASTERTON TAXIS

DIFFICULTIES UNDER PETROL RESTRICTIONS. STATEMENT OF POSITION. — The difficulties under which taxi proprietors were placed at present were mentioned by Mr J. R. Charteris, of Masterton, who has been attending a Dominion Conference in Wellington, as .the Wairarapa delegate. Mr Charteris pointed out that taxi proprietors in country areas such .as Masterton were placed in quite a different position to those in the cities, where the people were able to make use of trams and buses until midnight, whereas in the country they were dependent entirely on taxis. As the result of petrol restrictions, at the end of this month there were 91 taxis idle in Wellington, while in Masterton at least five were out of commission during the fourth week in every month. Representations were made to the Transport Commissioner, Mr Laurenson, who was asked if he could increase the allocation of petrol for taxis. He refused to make any increase over 110 gallons per month for single shift cars, which, he said, was sufficient to enable a living to be made, but he agreed to make an increase to 180 gallons for double shift cars. Mr Charteris said the extra cost involved in double shift cars would not be warranted in the case of taxis in Masterton and in consequence local taxi proprietors had secured no relief from their present position. The public. he said, did not realise the seriousness of the position in which the taxiproprietors were placed as the result of the petrol restrictions. They had been doing their best to serve the public, but from now on any inconvenience caused to the public must be attributed to the inadequacy of the petrol allowance and the rulings of the Transport Department. Referring more particularly to the latter point, Mr Charteris said that he had placed before the conference the fact that, according to the Transport Department’s regulations, there was not a taxi in Masterton which measured up to the capacity required for carrying five passengers, whereas previously these cars had always been regarded as five-seater cars. Representations were made by the committee to the authorities on this matter, which was under consideration.