TAXIS AND THE PUBLIC

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 39, 16 February 1943, Page 2

TAXIS AND THE PUBLIC

THE Transport Minister's visit to Auckland to investigate the taxi services is welcome, though we have passed the holiday season, during Which public complaints became acute. But the very tact that action to remedy the situation has had to wait so long indicates an admmistrativo weakness, and it is to bo hoped that Mr. O'Brien will not leave Auckland without satisfying himself that that weakness has been removed The point, of view of the general public on the question can be simply stated. They have been continually warned ot the absolute necessity of conserving tyres and petrol, and they appreciate that the warning is justified. But they iind it impossible t<* reconcile the practices of" some taxi-drivers in this city with an official policy avowedly designed to conserve petrol and tyre resources for essential purposes. They perceive that in too many cases the taxi-driver s decision to accept a fare is not based on consideration of whether the proposed journey is essential. Given a limited quantity of petrol, his concern is not to Use it for essential purposes, but to use it for the most lucrative purposes. There is a clear conflict between public and private interest. The City Council and the Transport Board license only a limited number of taxi-cabs and taxi-drivers, and the public therefore have a right to expect that the conditions on which licenses are granted shall more clearlv protects the public interest. Probably this result would be more certainly secured if there were one authority instead of three, but theie appears no necessity to set up a special authority for the purpose. Either the Citv Council or the Transport Board, if given adequate powers to act, after consultation with the taxi interests, should be capable of solving the problem.