WELLINGTON TAXIS CRITICISED

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25581, 24 August 1948, Page 4

WELLINGTON TAXIS CRITICISED

TRANSPORT AUTHORITY’S VIEW (P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 23. There was a great lack of discipline in the taxi business in Wellington, said the chairman of the Wellington Metropolitan Transport Licensing Authority (Mr C. A. L. Treadwell) at to-day’s sitting. He had received a great number of complaints on this question. Giving examples, Mr Treadwell said a woman had made repeated but fruitless attempts to obtain a taxi to take a child to hospital. A man made a call for a taxi at 2.35 p.m., which did not arrive, he said, till 7.50 p.m. causing the man to miss his ship to the South Island. He understood the man had been reimbursed by the company concerned. Another man had ordered two taxis to take himself and his family to the railway station to catch the Auckland express. It was an urgent journey because of illness. Neither taxi arrived, and the neighbour had to take the family to the station. When a woman was driving her motor-car past the taxis’ depot she found her way blocked by a taxi. Her car was surrounded by shouting men, who abused her and used some extremely vulgar expressions. "There seems to be a lack of discipline permeating taxi-drivers to-day,” said Mr Treadwell, “and if we do not get rid of undesirable elements very soon steps will indeed have to be taken.”

One vacant taxi-cab licence was filled and other applications were adjourned sine die. pending the authority’s consideration of a recommendation from the Wellington City Council that an extra 50 licences be granted.