Taxi fee waiver wanted

Press, 25 October 1984, Page 9

Taxi fee waiver wanted

The request that the Ministry of Transport waive 510,000 in taxi licence fees has been supported by the urban transport committee of the Canterbury United Council. The 306 licence-holders in Christchurch would have each to pay 533 to amend their licences before being allowed to pick up fares from Lyttelton’s taxi stand, the committee was told yesterday. The manager of Blue Star Taxis, Mr K. J. Murphy, said the uneconomic, separate Lyttelton taxi service, Kiwi Taxis, wanted to be incorporated into the Christchurch tariff area. The service lost 517,000 last year. “That cannot continue,” he said.

Incorporation with Christchurch taxis would give Lyttelton residents a better and cheaper service. They

would have more taxis to call upon and trips to Christchurch would not involve out-of-district tariff running, said Mr Murphy. A hitch had arisen because the proposal also involved extending Christchurch taxi licences for use in Lyttelton. Regulations at present allow Christchurch taxis to pick up fares in Lyttelton only if they were called to the port. The Ministry has ruled that Christchurch licenceholders wanting to make the change would have to apply individually and each pay 533. A letter from the Lyttelton taxi company’s solicitors said they had written to the member of Parliament for Lyttelton, Mrs Hercus, asking her to take the matter up with the Minister of Transport, Mr Prebble, in an effort to have the fees waived. “We believe that the ap-

plication being made is in the best interests of all concerned and akin to the extension of taxi services into places such as Sumner and Hornby when they were serviced by their own local taxi cabs,” said the letter. Mr Murphy said the distance from central Christchurch to Lyttelton was less than that to Hornby from the city. The application to amend Lyttelton licences to permit pick-up rights in Christchurch will be heard by the No. 9 Transport Licensing Authority on October 29. Underpass The first of two cycle underpasses proposed for Hagley Park would cost $282,000, the committee was told. A pass under Harper Avenue between Hagley Park and Little Hagley Park would probably be the

first to be built, United Council staff said. A second tunnel, under Deans Avenue, to provide access between the park and the new site of Christchurch Girls’ High School, would probably cost 5300,000. Objections Objections by the Kaiapoi Borough and Eyre County councils to being included in the proposed urban transport area will be heard by the Local Government Commission in Christchurch on November 14. The area, as proposed by the United Council, would extend from Burnham to Rangiora. The Mayor of Rangiora, Mrs Dorothy Harris, told the committee that the .Rangiora Borough Council would make submissions to the commission.