TAXI FARES IN CITY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22340, 2 March 1938, Page 10

TAXI FARES IN CITY

Meters To Be Used RESULT OF APPEAL TO MINISTER Authority’s Decision Reversed The decision of the Christchurch Metropolitan Licensing Authority that taxi fares must be charged on “cab miles” has been reversed by the Minister for Transport (the lion. R. Semple). In his judgment on appeals against the decisions of the authority he has stipulated tha a taxi-cabs in Christchurch are to be equipped with taxi-meters. 1,3 means that the principle of charging by “passenger miles” —a principle that was rejected by the authority when it gave its decisions on applications for taxi licences in November—has been adopted by the Minister. The fares to be charged have also been fixed by the Minister. The fares fixed by the authority on the basis of “cab miles” were:—One or two passengers up to two miles, Is 6d; every mile or part thereafter, 6d; for each passenger over two for the whole or part of the journey, an extra charge of 6d. Those fixed by the Minister to be charged according to the distance travelled by the passenger are:—For one or two passengers not exceeding ha mile, Is; for every half mile thereafter, 6d; for each additional passenger over two for the whoie part of the journey, an extra charge ° f This involves a completely new method of calculation. Under the system approved by the authority the passenger pays for the distance he travels and for the extra distance the taxi has to return to the point of hiring or to Cathedral square, whichever is the nearer The new fares, which will be calculated automatically, will be only for the distance the passenger travels. Installation of Meters The Minister’s judgment gives the Licensing Authority power to fix a time, not exceedihg six months from the date of the judgment, m which holders of licences shall comply with the condition about taxi-met-GI Appeals against the decisions ol the authority were made by Rink Taxis, Ltd., and Mr G. E. Fergus, secretary of the Blue Star organisation, against certain of the conditions attached to their licences,_ by Mr C. S. Trillo, principally against the reduction of the vehicle authorities formerly held by him, against the grant of licences to certain other persons, and against certain of the conditions attached to the licence granted to him; and by Messrs W. Barnett, S. C. Branch, W. F. Collins, C. Griffiths, W. H. Harding, C. F. Parsons, W. R. Sanders, and H. H. Smith against the refusal of their applications. One of the results of the authority’s decisions was to reduce the number of cab licences by 31. No decision has been made by the_Mmister on the appeals against this reduction of licences. “I deem it desirable to reserve my decisions on this subject,” the Minister says, “and to secure some additional information. When this is available to me the individual cases will receive further consideration and the remaining decisions will then be given.