TAXING THE TAXI.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 60, 12 March 1926, Page 5

TAXING THE TAXI.

PROTEST BY OWNERS.

FLEA FOR EXEMPTION.

FINE DEMARCATION LINE

CBj Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, this day.

A complaint of injustice in the incidence of the heavy traffic regulations as they affect taxi owners with cars which weigh more than two tons when loaded to their licensed seating capacity, Tvas made to the Prime Minister (the Eight Hon. J. G. Coates) yesterday afternoon by a deputation representing the taxi owners of New Zealand.

The deputation was introduced by Mr. E. McKeen, M.P., for Wellington South, who said that they wished to complain of the unjustness of one of the clauses in the traffic regulations issued in September last, making provision for the payment of a heavy traffic tax upon taxis which exceeded the two-ton maximum. The tax was assessed at 30/ per passenger, which meant that for a sevenseater it amounted to £10 10/. The taxi owners wanted relief from the clause. There were 1500 taxis in the Dominion, and only 300 came under the provision to which objection was raised. . Mr. Coates: The object of the regulations is to get the weights down and increase the wearing capacity of the roads.

Mr. G. G. Goodman, representing the Auckland Taxi Owners' Association, said their representations had nothing to do (with the service cars plying, between towns; the deputation simply ; represented the men who supplied the casual trade in the towns. The service cars were causing a lot of trouble because of the weights they carried, but they were in a position to pay the heavy weight tax. The taxi owners' case was different, because they could not.pass the tax on. The Auckland City Council declined to make any concession by allowing increases in fares, which had remained the same for the past ten or twelve years. The men were thus unable to pass the extra charge on, and.it came, out of their pockets. The line of demarcation between cars which had to pay the extra heavy weight tax.and those which did not was so fine that it hit rather hard upon the man who was just over the two-ton limit. Hundreds of taxi owners who had seven-seater cars were dodsing the tax because their cars were below the maximum. He knew that the line must be drawn somewhere, but wished to point out the anomaly as between two seven-seater cars, one above the weight and the other below; both were doing the same work, and the difference in tax was £10 10/. The private owner, moreover, could have a heavy car, pick the best roads, and -pay nothing extra. That was hardly a fair basis of taxation. He contended that if people could afford to pay for a car for pleasure, they should have to pay the heavy weight tax if their cars were over the maximum, and. moreover, there was nothing to prevent these people using the road 24 hours a day through the whole year.

The Companies' Position.

The private owner, therefore, pursued the speaker, had a privilege under the regulations which the* taxi owner did not have. The taxi companies were taking good care to buy cars which dodged the regulations. They were using the road twenty-four hours per day,, working two shifts per car, and the owner-driver with a Heavier car, working "only half the eaine time-per day.-t had %o pay £10' 10/ more. About 300 cars in' the Dominion were affected by the extra tax, and many of the owners had bought their cars before the new regulations were formed. Most of them were returned soldiers who, having infirmities, found that taxi driving -was their best occupation considering , their condition.

"There is another point I -would like to make," said Mr. Goodman. "In the proposed motor-bus regulations companies are required to charge a minimum fare; we are compelled to charge a maximum." On behalf of the deputation he appealed to the Prime Minister to give their representations consideration with a view to affording them some relief. "To own a taxi in Auckland to-day." he said, "means a liability of about £20 in taxation, and that is a very big item to a man when the business is not there to be done. Men are sitting in the Toaa , waiting for work. They are not using the roads." The deputation suggested an amendment to clause 4 of the regulations exempting the taxi owners... It was only on race days, show days, etc., which practically never affected the towns, that they actually carried the full complement of passengers, and with combined weight of car and passengers exceeded the two-ton maximum.