TAXI FARES IN THE CITY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 291, 28 August 1918, Page 6

TAXI FARES IN THE CITY

SHOULD THEY BE RAISED?

PUBLIC AND THE DRIVERS

In response to a request from the taxi-cab owners of Wellington that the schedule of fares should be revised on an ascending scale, the By-Laws Committee of the City Council met a large representation of the taxi-owners yesterday morning. Tho lequest, said -Councillor W. H. I'. Barber (chairman), had been made in May last, and the delay which had ensued was due to the necessity of having to get data and . figures from other centres for the purpose of comparison. Tho taxi-drivers in their memorandum to the eommitteo wished the minimum fare raised from , 2s. to 35., and the charge for tho lirst hour increased from Lis. to 205., and . ss. extra for every additional passenger, whereas now the charge related to a t ear-load (four or fivo passengers). They asked that the fare to Petone be made £1 Is., and that the minimum fare lo Kelburn or Northland bo 10s. instead . of 55., and 7s. Gd. beyond the Karori Cemetery 1 Councillor Barber said he was.. well' aware that tho taxi-owners had some grounds for their application, as tho cost of running cars —benzine, lyres, and oil—had greatly increased. On the other hand, they had ascertained that the fares charged in Wellington were already in excess of all others charged in New Zealand centres. Although tho council issued licenses to drivers, there were two sides to the question, and tho council must afford protection to the public by seeing that the fares were not unreasonable and that the public was not being imposed upon. In Wellington the minimum fare -was 2s. for one passenger and Is. per head for every additional passenger. In Auckland .tho minimum fare was 2s. Cd. for two passengers and Is. extra for each additional two passengers; in Dunedin the minimum faro was 2s. for from one to four passengers; and in Christchurch it was 2s. per mile per passenger, ]s. each for each additional two passengers, and 6d. each abovo that number. In Wellington on time the charge was 15s. per hour and 3s. for every additional quarter of an hour; Auckland, 15s. per hour, 2s. 6d. extra, quarter-hours; Dunedin, 15s. per hour, 3s. for extra quarters; and Christchurch, 10s. 6u. per hour and 3s. for extra quarters. Although tho (taxi fares charged in Wellington were in excess of all other centres, the travelling public had little confidence in the drivers of Wellington. Evidence was being continually submitted to tho committee which showed' that' drivers wore not always to be trusted. In Christchurch it wus quite different. Only that morning a gentleman in the theatrical profession told him that, whereas it was customary to use the taxis in Christchurch, he preferred to take the tramcar or walk in Wellington. Wliei the trains arrived at the Christchurch station one would see everyone hailing taxis, and away they would go, and perhaps be back again in time to catch another fare. He was sorry to say that was not the ease in Wellington. It was common talk among travellers that when they hailed a taxi in Wellington they never kijew what they were going to pay. Only the other day there was a case where a driver had agreed to take a lady to Moana Crescent, Kelburn, for 10s. (the legal fare was 65.), but when he completed the journey lie asked for another 2s. 6d., saving he did not know where ,he had to go wheiv he named the faro. That was the sort of thing which was bringing Wellington taxidrivers into-bad repute, and depriving them of lots of jobs they might other-/' wise get. Therefore the committee was glad of the opportunity of meeting tho whole of the drivers together. They did not like to hear the insinuations and complaints that were continually beforo tho committee. Ho knew that the taxi-drivers were not earning a good ' living, but that was because they wero idle each day for hours and hours together. They had not got the confidence of the travelling public, and the committee had grave doubts about acceding to their requests, as .they believed that* it might only accentuate tho system of .idleness. On the other hand, motor-cars and taxis were a great public utility of which the public would tako fuller advantago if they had confidence in the drivers. Councillor W. H. Bennett said that tho council had 110 power to restrict tho number of licenses, so. that if there were too many in the business soma would have to get out- and eDgage in more profitable occupations. He referred to the manner in which the drivers used to treat the stands by leaving tins and carbide about. They should take a pride in keeping the stands in good order.

Councillor C. B. Norwood, speaking as ono who travelled the whole of the Dominion from end to end, said lio had had the opportunity of hearing the travellers speak as to tho treatment they received from the taxi-drivers in the different places, and tho general impression with them was that taxi? drivers in Wellington could not be trusted as to charges} and travellers usually preferred to walk or take some other means of reaching their homes or hotels, lie did not think there were too many taxis in Wellington. He advised the drivers to got together with, rules that would mean tho cleaning up of the .whole business. It was only by such means that the chairman's object would be achioved.

Mr. Leach (a taxi-owner) stated that as proof that tho travelling public thought the minimum fare too low in Wellington, passengers invariably handed them 3s. In Christchurch the faro was 2s. a mile. In Wellington, from the Thorndon station, one sometimes had to travel two miles for 2s. They claimed that the minimum fare here was not onough. Then about the trip to Kelkurn or Wadestown, a passenger might go halfway up, and the legal fare would be 25., wliereas if he went to the top of the hill the fare would be ss.—and they all know that it did not pay to climb those hills for ss. ,He thought it was very wrong of Councillor Barber to say they had not got tho confidence of the public.

Councillor J. E. Fitzgerald, who said that he appeared as a taxi-owner, said that it was the first time that the owners of taxis had assembled together, awl therefore they had not consulted toother over the questions at. issue, and had no opportunity of going into the details. It was common knowledge that the increase in motor cost was proportionately greater than in any othor business. The-increase had been 'Over 100 per cent, with petrol, tyres, and oils. It could not bo said that the drivers of taxis had received any increases in ivages during tho past' few months. Before the war tho charge for a taxi was Is. a mile, and double fare between midnight and G a.m., but in their consideration of the by-law the committee had cut out the latter provision; yet lie thought it was quite worth double the fare to turn out at such a time. As tho law now stood a man could ring up to town 'from Island Bay for a taxi, and ask tho driver to take him to Duppa Street, a mile away, and the legal charge would bo 25., the charge being based 011 the distance the passenger travelled, which was plainly absurd. There was, too, the man who motored to Petono and paid only one way—llo charge being made for the return journey. > Councillor Fitzgerald suggested that tho committee might give the taxiowners the chance to straighten out the whole thing by coming together. Anything like co-operation had been foreign to them for years. If they were given

that opportunity they would, lie felt sure, bo able to submit concrete pro> posals which would present a way out of tho difficulty, and restore that missing confidence referred to by Councillor Norwood. Mr. Cameron said that there should be a restriction of licenses. If he wished to go and start in Christcliurch ho could not do so until ho had been a resident for. three months. Mr. L. S. Drake: That is not correct—ono month is the term. Mr. Cameron said that people would como and ask them tho fare to tho Thorndoii station, and when ss. was asked they would ■walk away in disgust. Mr. Power said that they had been accused of losing the good will of tho public. If that were so, it was attributable to the extraordinary tariff--the most extraordinary lie had ever met in Now Zealand. The business did not pay, but tho men were trying to make it pay. Ho urged a uniform tariff that would pay them all rou'nd. He mentioned that if one person went to Petone it would be £1 Is., but if six went they had the right to charge £i 45., but if they did so they had to take a chance of being assaulted for charging the legal fare. (Laughter.) Ono speaker corrected the chairman's figures in respect to the comparison with tho Auckland tariff, which, he said, provided for the mileage covered back to the stand. A two-mile trip in Auckland cost ss. 9d. j

Finally, Councillor Fitzgerald's idea was act&l upon, and at a meeting held at the conclusion of the conference a special committee of taxi-owners wa3' appointed to go into the matter of tho tariff, and report again to the By-Laws Committee of the City Council' ou Friday morning.