Port keen to keep taxis

Press, 15 November 1977, Page 6

Port keen to keep taxis

The Lyttelton Borough. Council is not going to let the port's taxi service disappear without a fight. in August the seven-car; Kiwi Taxi fleet sought the' council’s blessing to amalgamate with the Blue Star Taxi i Company in Christchurch ( because of the drastic fall in : business since the Rangatira; was withdrawn.

However, last evening the council made it plain that it would dig its toes in over the complete loss of a resident taxi service. It said that two taxis serving Lyttelton itself during daylight hours would be the minimum requirement for locals.

Last month the Transport Licensing Authority turned down an application by one

Lyttelton taxi owner to join the Blue Star fleet. The council lodged objections to the application at the hearing, and the text of its objections were tabled last evening by the Town Clerk (Mr R. j. Ewen). ’

Mr Ewen said that the council had had complaints over the years about the lack of taxis in Lyttelton. "The council would need to be convinced that an adequate service would be available to Lyttelton before it would support any cuts. "It is feared that the short trips within Lyttelton which form a substantia! part of the local residents’ requirements would then be disregarded in favour of longer, more lucrative, trips to Christchurch,” said Mr Ewen.