TAXI FARES IN CHRISTCHURCH

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22347, 10 March 1938, Page 9

TAXI FARES IN CHRISTCHURCH

TO TUB EDITOR OF I'HE I'BKSS Sir.—Mr Trillo jubilates over the inability of the Transport Authority to give effect to its averred intentions. Truly this is the time for dictators all over the world, and Mr Trillo has cause to feel pleased. He has had some eight years of this pleasure, and he thinks that his time "is not come. In this little instance, we have democracy represented by the larger number "of owner-drivers and firms, but are their views, needs, and decisions aired and arrived at in meetings,-sit-tings, and commissions, held under the authority of authority, given any consideration? It appears not. The dictator head of the Transport Department has even reversed the decision of its own authority, a body composed of the Mayor and chosen city councillors—men who have had the troubles of the taxi business under their hands—futile hands, perhaps, for years. He now declares against the best advice that meters shall be installed on taxis. Well intentioned, perhaps but with half-baked ideas and half-pie legislation, it has rushed in with the answer before it has understood the sum, and now covers a discomfited retreat with the decree of "install meters and carry on." This is the sum total of its aid to the taxi problem The Transport Department never realised the magnitude of its task, and its threats of "steam-roller action have now fizzled out. It now appears that the Transport Department cannot enforce its own regulations, as in a recent Court case no one seemed to know whether taxis are under thf> City Council by-laws and licence, or under the Transport licence, etc At present, authority cannot enforce wages being paid to drivers, nor fix hours of work other than just sufficient to ensure public safety, all of which was, and may still be, the intention of the authority, as in the beginning. The department cannot even decide an appeal; at least it has failed to do so up to the present to give a dot cision on these, even under pressure, ft is probably waiting with belated strategic foresight, till lapse of time makes frc c h applications necessary, and the decisions on present appeals if then given would be of no value. But what of the £4 paid for the current year's transoort licence, unmatennl'ised in itself, its advantages, and its protection, the £2 naid for the current vcar's Citv Council licence, now defunct, r.nd the £3 paid by tho-e whorimplications are under appeal? Is all this money to be quietly held by the authorities concerned, and no vp!uo given in return? Is no compensation to be given to those whom decree decides shall n<> longer continue m iheir own business? In all other affairs where legislation has ousted privntf enterprise, compensation has formed the baris of the discussion. Are taximen so mean members of the community that thev can be fostered or squashed with as little consideration as one would give vermin? Mr Trillo has always been at liberty to install meters at any time on -his own cars, and prove their failure in this city, as have others before him. His charge of general dishonesty of taxi-drivers is ridiculous. Overcharging is an offence against Ihe law. and comnlaints made to the City Council would result in Court apoearances. fines, and cancellation of licences. It is theft. A driver's taxi-life would be very short if the practice were adopted. The real reason for taximeters being invented and installed was to protect the owner from the driver. The present meters are all fitted with calculators that supply a full statement in totals, of every phase of taxi hiring and mileage, of great value as a check to the owner. The actual fare as shown to the hirer is onlv a small part of the function of the" meter. The information given is required by the Transport Department also. 'The travelling public will be the losers, as these meters are notorious overchargers. In seeking one advantage, Mr Trillo is anxious not to be at the disadvantage, that of being the sole user of meters To protect himself, he has advocated the universal use of meters. -Yours, etc., FAREg March 8, 1938. TO THE EDITOR OF TUB PRESS. Sir—Mr Trillo's letter in your columns the other day in reply to one from me on the above subject should not be allowed to pass without comment. He says the owner drivers are beginning to squeal because the Hon. R 'Scrapie'has ordered that all taxis must install meters. That is not correct. I and most drivers outside Mr Trillo's organisation protest not against the installation of meters, but against the figure at which the price a mile has been fixed. We know that to meet overhead expenses and running costs, taxis simply cannot be run at 4d a mile and be able to pay good wages to drivers and allow a reasonable profit to owners. Mr Semple was asked to intervene and fix fares and conditions. Wisely he decided to hand the matter over to the local authority, the City Council. That authority fixed prices, wages, and conditions—and virtually the only dissenting voice was Mr Trillo's. Is he then right and all the other taximen and taxi organisations wrong? Or will even Mr Semple claim that he understands local conditions better and is able to act more fairly than the duly-elected local authority?— Yours, etc., FAIRPLAY. March 8, 1938.