Taxi Loading At Railway Station “Fair, Orderly”

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29900, 14 August 1962, Page 17

Taxi Loading At Railway Station “Fair, Orderly”

"Taxi loading at the railway station is controlled so as to provide a fair and orderly distribution of taxis,’’ said the Christchurch City Council's Traffic Superintendent (Mr J. F. Thomas) in answer to two letters to the editor of “The Press."

James Guthrey wrote: — "Last Saturday morning I was waiting on the Christchurch station sidewalk for a taxi, after leaving the inter-island ferry train. Taxis were lined up all the way down the street. The normal action was to walk down and climb into a taxi; and the large crowd would have been cleared in minutes. But no, a traffic officer insisted that we all stand and wait on the main pavement directly in front of the station for a taxi to drive up, take on a load, and go, before another taxi could pull up. Someone must surely have a reason for this nonsense. I complained to the officer and he stated he was obeying orders. I understand it is Cr. H. P. Smith's bright idea. I would be happy to hear Cr. Smith's reasons’’

“Visiting American” wrote: —“I am an American living in New Zealand for two years and I am interested in New Zealand from a tourist's point of view. The muddle Christchurch has made of its taxi service at the station needs airing. I arrived off the inter-island steamer last Saturday and saw one of your traffic police keeping passengers from walking down the sidewalk to get themselves a taxi. I imagine somebody has told him to do this. Why? I had to wait an extra 15 minutes because of this holdup.” Mr Thomas, in his comment, added:—“lt must be remembered there are many aged and infirm persons, together with mothers accompanied by young families, requiring taxis, and if some form of control is not exercised these intending passengers would be left waiting until further taxis arrive. “I do not think the writers or the taxi proprietors would wish to see the conditions prevailing whereby a scramble system existed with the possibility of some injury resulting. “Traffic officers on duty at the station endeavour at all times to see taxis are loaded and dispatched as quickly as possible, and on frequent occasions visitors to the city have expressed favourable comment on the method adopted. It is the same method as used at Victoria Station in London and other places. There is no need to be restricted to one taxi at a time, but a very great need for orderly queuing.”