INCREASE IN TAXI CHARGES

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28157, 21 December 1956, Page 7

INCREASE IN TAXI CHARGES

NEW RATES OPERATE IN CAPITAL HIGHER FEES FOR MANY SERVICES (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 20. Many Wellington taxi patrons were surprised yesterday when they were charged sixpence extra because they had ordered their cabs by telephone. Mr V. Aitken, the manager of one of the city’s taxi companies, said tonight that the extfa charge for telephone orders was one of several increases in taxi rates which came into force yesterday. It now costs more to be attacked by car-sickness, to keep a taxi waiting, or to have an account with a taxi company, he said. Mr Aitken said the sixpence telephone orders was to cover the extra work involved in executing the orders. The Wellington branch of the New Zealand Taxi Proprietors’ Federation had made applications several times in the past for the extra charge, said Mr Aitken. This was the first time the Transport Department had allowed the extra sixpence for telephone orders as such. Soiled Vehicle Charge Taxi-drivers are now entitled to charge up to 30s if their vehicles are soiled. In the past, they have charged whatever could be obtained from the erring passenger. A new rate has also been permitted for waiting time. It is now charged at the rate of 6d for each three minutes. Up till today it was 6d each five minutes.

Mr Aitken said that if an operator told an intending passenger a cab would pick him up in a certain time, the driver would not he entitled to charge the penalty for waiting if he arrived before the stipulated time. In future, all accounts with taxi firms will be increased by 5 per cent, when they are computed. This is to cover the extra work involved in keeping accounts for customers. For shopping tours, or where a client keeps a driver waiting at several places en route to the destination, waiting time will be charged at 4s 3d for each quarter-hour.