TAXI TELEPHONES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 285, 1 December 1932, Page 6

TAXI TELEPHONES.

In answer, rto your correspondent Arthur Taylor, I wish to contradict lis statement that I instructed our members to have nothing 1 to do with his petition. Any instructions from mo were entirely unnecessary in this respect, as our members are practically unanimous in opposing municipal control. At the most, only two or three of our members signed this petition, as will be verified by a counterpetition which 1 am going to present to the City Council committee. Eeferring to Mr. Taylor's petition, I wish to point out that the 109 signatories include a large number of drivers as well as owners, and I ask if it is reasonable that the interests of the owners should be influenced by employees who have no capital at stake. Mr. Taylor refers to the estimate of revenue prepared by Mr. Hogan, but I submit that this figure is extremely problematical, as the council has no guarantee that the individual taxi owners will subscribe to the municipal telephone system; this figure will he further reduced when, as a result of increased fares and the consequent decrease of taxi business offering, a large number of taxis at present under hire-purchase agreements will be forced off the road. Re the merits of the existing system, I state definitely that our owner-driver system is giving absolute satisfaction to the public, as is proved by tJlio popularity our service enjoys. The popularity of the grey taxis is evidence of the fact that the public doss discriminate in colour. I would also like to ask if ratepayers are willing to sanction proposals that would increase the present charges. R. J. HEALY, Manager, ATTA Taxi Company, ltd.