A TAXI-CAB FARE DISPUTE

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 70, 22 March 1918, Page 8

A TAXI-CAB FARE DISPUTE

A disagreement between a .taxi-driver and his fare was settled by Mr. W. 6. Riddell, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court this morning, when A. M. Proctor, taxidriver, proceeded against F. H. B. Ashwin, wholesale jeweller, Auckland, for whom Mr. J. J. M'Grath appeared,; to recover 37s 6d, in respect to the hire of a taxicab to Day's Bay' and back, the amount being the difference between the mileage rate (£3 10s 6d) and the hire rate by time (£1 135.). The point in dispute was whether the -plaintiff was engaged by time-hire or mileage-hire. The hirerate by time is 15s per hour, or part thereof, and 3s for every subsequent quarter-hour or part thereof The mileage rate is Is per mile per passenger, plus 6d per 5 minutes' waiting-time. The plaintiff maintained that he was engaged on a mileage rate, while the defendant alleged that he engaged the plaintfff on' the time-rate.

The plaintiff, in cross-examination, stated that the time showed that he was engaged at the mileage-rate.

Mr out?

M'Grath: How do you make that

Plaintiff: If the engagement was on the time-rate,' I would have taken 'longer—to make up the amount. We all do that.

The Magistrate decided that plaintiff had failed to prove his case, and gave judgment for defendant. The Magistrate held that 33s was a fair remuneration for the time occupied in the journey.