TAXI-DRIVERS ANNOYED.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 247, 18 October 1929, Page 5

TAXI-DRIVERS ANNOYED.

AT SLUR FROM MT. ALBERT.

MR. KAYES EXPLAINS,

Taxicab drivers are protesting vehemently against the remarks passsed at last Tuesday's meeting of the Mount Albert Borough Council, when members declared that "taxicab stands must be in well-lighted streets where passers-bv can keep an eye on them." They resent the statement that girls hung round the taxi-stands. The employees of several of the taxi companies have approached their employers and urged that official notice be taken of the slur. It is understood that formal complaints against the strictures will be made to the council.

"It must be understood that the remarks passed at that meeting regarding taxis loitering in dark back-streets were not meant as a sweeping condemnation of taxi-drivers in general," states Mr. H. L. Kayes, chairman of the works and lighting committee of the council. "The policy of the council has been to reprimand individual drivers caught offending in order that a slur should not be cast on the whole profession." Following the receipt of numerous complaints from ratepayers, the council left the whole matter in the hands of Mr. Kayes. The traffic inspector was instructed not to prosecute the men in the first instance but to bring them before Mr. Kayes, who would make the position plain to them. The council considered that to take the men to Court would seriously injure their business in the future, a punishment too heavy for the offence.

Only a few drivers were offenders. These men had been frequenting, and taking patrons to, certain houses of doubtful repute, and the council had necessarily to put a stop to this. Mr. Kayes was called out on sei-eral nights to interview the drivers of cars which had been found by the traffic inspector parked outside these places.

"This business has now been cleaned up", states ilr. Kayes. police also took action in the matter and the houses have now been vacated. Since then the council has had no further complaints, but the request for the stand in Salisbury Street was opposed on the grounds that it would be best for all concerned not to give any room for complaints in the future. While we recognise that we must have taxicab stands in the borough, we consider that for the sake of both the drivers and the ratepayers, all stands should be placed in open, well-lighted areas.