TAXIS v. BUSES

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 288, 1 September 1931, Page 8

TAXIS v. BUSES

Lively Competition INTERVENTION EXPECTED

There is little stability in any form of transport in these times. Just as the railway services to the suburbs have suffered front motor-bus competition (which also cuts heavily into the harbour ferries revenue), so the bus"s are now feeling the pressure of competition by taxis running between the city and suburbs. Taxi-car services have for some time be"n running all day between Wellington and Lower Hutt and Petone. and similar services have recently begun running to Khandallah and Johnsonville. The fares bv taxi are no more'than by bus. and journeys are a little quicker. While the Lower Hutt and Petone buses leave their passengers at the Government Printing Office, the taxis bring them to the centre of the city.

The proprietors of the bus services are seriously perturbed at this encroachment on their territory, and have made anneals to the local licensing authority (tiro Wellington City Council) to nut a ston to it. It is said that none of the taxi services competing with the buses have been authorised by tho licensing authority, and it is believed they arc running on the assumption that they are not omnibuses within tlie meaning of the Act. According to tlie A'“. a “motor omnibus” means a vehicle propelled by mechanical power nnd designed solely or principally for the carriage of persons exceeding seven in number, inclusive of the driver, but does not include a vehicle running on rails or a vehicle, which, though not running on rails, derives motive power from an overhead wire.”

As the majority of the new taxis are five and six-seaters. they may not come within the definition of an omnibus; but still may come within the scope of a “motor-omnibus service.” which means: “The carriage by motor-omnibus of. passengers for hire at fares, however computed. not exceeding for each person the sum of 2/- for any journey counted one way only.” Taxi services similar to those running to the suburbs from Wellington have been prohibited in Invercargill and Auckland. It is understood that action is pending in Wellington also.