TAXI CONTROL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 238, 8 October 1936, Page 5

TAXI CONTROL.

' DUNEDIN INQUIRY. CHEAP FARES FAVOURED. ' AMALGAMATION PROPOSAL. i (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, this day. ' i Tlie Taxi Inquiry Committee heard \ further evidence to-day. i j Mr. E. R. Grace, accountant, said that j until recently he was auditor of the Silver Fern Company, in respect of the operations of which he submitted figures. The policy of the company, he said, had been to keep fares down in order to ' j maintain or increase the turnover. . ' Witness continued that the company met the purposes of those likely to use the cars with the object of getting the i best out of its business, and any increase | in the existing fares would reduce the I | number of users and, in his opinion, , I would eventually put a number of comI I panies out of operation. He estimated ! that Silver Fern drivers drove 95 miles | ! daily and were actually driving five • | hours- a day. Their average earnings ' I were about £•">. The important thing i' in the taxi business was to keep the \ wheels moving, if possible, 24 hours a day. Eight or ten years ago taxis were a iuxury, aud since then companies had succeeded, drivers had had a fair living, 1 and the public had had good facilities; in addition, the owner of the capital had had a good return for his risk. Witness held the opinion that but for cheap fares the Silver Fern Company would not be ] in business to-day. I Paying by Commission. In answer to the chairman, Mr. P. M. Butler, Mr. Grace said that he agreed j with tl j policy of paying by commis- | sion, not for the purpose of driving the I men, but because it seemed fair to him. I The owner risked his cars and capital, | and if there was no business he suffered; I similarly, the driver risked his time, and |if there was no business he also suffered. Witness would not favour wages, ; but if wages were made compulsory, he ■ did not see why drivers should not be I paid at least £4 12/6 a week. The wheels could be kept moving on wages as well as on commission, provided that fares .were sufficiently attractive. I Mr. W. 0. Kempthorne, now of jOmakau, but until a week ago a taxi ' proprietor in Dunedin,, submitted two lengthy written statements, in which he outlined with considerable detail his views on the industry. Mr. Kempthorne favoured the amalgamation of taxi services and town deliveries under one form of unified conj trol. He advocated some form of public I control, preferably by the Railway Department which he said had the neces- ' sary organisation both in the cities and ' the country towns. To place taxis and ' deliveries under its control would merely jbe to extend its present operations. He I pointed out the heavy overhead costs and unnecessary running involved in the industry as it was at present constituted. Taxi services could be made to pay at a charge of 6d a mile under unified control. I As Mr. Kempthorne had had 17 years' experience as a taxi proprietor, he was ' questioned at length about the history iof the business in Dunediri. He said that the only companies which went out of existence were the original Red Band, the original Gold Band and the original : Gold Star. He knew of from 12 to 20 owner-drivers who had ceased to operate. He expressed the opinion that there were twice as many accidents as there should be, the chief reason being the speed of I the modern car. j Police Officers' Views. 1 Answering questions this morning, Police-Sergeant Boulton stated there , was a tendency for taxi-drivers to speed j because, being paid on commission, they desired as many jobs as possible. There hadn't been such a tendency when the wage system operated. During two years there had been 23 accidents in I which taxis were involved. Most of the I mishaps had occurred at intersections, which possibly inferred speeding. Fourteen of these accidents had concerned commission drivers, who, he considered, worked too long hours. He considered i that the detecting of too high speeds | should be in the hands of specially ( trained police throughout New Zealand. Sergeant Boulto-i also expressed the opinion that no one under 21 years of age was fit to drive a car. ! (Proceeding.)