TAXI INQUIRY

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 85, 7 October 1936, Page 16

TAXI INQUIRY

DUNEDIN SERVICES

REVIEW OF METHODS

PROPOSED REFORMS

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.) . . DUNEDIN, October 6. An indication that a great volume of evidence is likely to be presented was^ given- when the Committee of Inquiry set up by the Government to inquire into the conduct of the taxi and town carrying services began its Dunedin sittings today. The first witness was H. J. Hastie. manager of Gold Band Taxis, who denied the published report that no taxi company had ever: closed its doors in Dunedin owing to financial difficulties. He gave the. names of three companies which, he said, had gone bankrupt and had been absorbed by his company. In reply to the chairman, Hastie said that his. drivers -were employed on commission under a purely verbal agreement. Going on to deal with the question of taxi services in general, he said that in June last there were 120 taxis in Dunedin. In 1926 there were only three companies in the city, and they were.paying their drivers £4 12s 6id a week for 60 and 70 hours' work in alternate .weeks. The fares then were 33 .1-3 per cent, .higher than today. The year 1931 was a critical time in the.taxi .business in Dunedin. At this stage four, drivers started to operate ,on.fares £hat were cut-up. to 40 percent.; and for the first time the paying of drivers' on commission was introduced. The effect was that all other drivers had to follow suit. For a considerable period following this the average wage of his" company's drivers was £4 6s, lOd a week and, except at Christmas and Easter, the hours wefe : not excessive. If specified wages and; limited 'hours- were introduced, it would be necessary to employ twice the "present number of drivers, and the companies could riot exist under trie existing charges. . .■,'.. The present position, Hastie added, was. that there were fourteen companies' in. Dunedin, and' his company, which! was the pioneer, was'stifled in all directions. He found.that country trips were being quoted at. 4d a mile pr Jesg." An.endeavour was made, to induce the City Council to fix fares, but the operators were .told that they must reach a unanimous decision. .. COUNCIL COMPETITION. Hastie'said the present "position was that the, City Council was a competitor with' the taxis and was ■running buses from' dances .'and to'• various points . in • the city late on. Saturday night. The council'was a competitor and'yet it'was. the body which made the rules of the "game. He estimated that there would be 140- ,taxi drivers in Dunedin, and' the' earnings, of his company's employees were 25 per cent, of their total takings. If the. present drivers in Dunedin jWere each-to earn £5 a week, it'would be necessary for the people ,of ■ -the,-, city .;■ to spend £145,600 a year on taxis; , . H John Weitzel, Blue Star driver, :whO| formerly drove for the .Gold Band com- j pahy, said he had worked on occasions' right through-the weekend with time off only for meals. His average weekly hours with the :Gold Band Company would be about . 100. The highest wages he. had ever made in one week was, £13. 'Witness was unable to say how many hours a driver could work before the point of fatigue was reached. Hastie: Was it our policy to compel you to work long hours? Weitzel: We were not compelled, but we were expected to. . In reply to a further question, he recalled an occasion when Hastie refused a hire because witness was "dead beat." He was in worse physical condition than before he: started driving. His wages would ' very rarely be below £3. ■■ v .•■■ ' ■ ■■.■'■.-■ •SHOCKING CONDITIONS." Evidence on behalf of White Star Taxis, Gqld Star Taxis, Ltd., and City Taxis, Ltd., was given by J. Moffitt, who said. thai the three . companies were more or less under one control. It was recognised, he said, that the present methods of operating taxis were responsible for shocking working conditions in many quarters, and the companies which he represented were anxious to help-to have conditions improved. This could only be brought about by regulation and control by a public authority.

Mofßtt quoted figures on which he estimated operating costs at 7Jd a mile and went on to express the opinion that the following factors were essential for the stabilisation of the business:—Compulsory and universal use of taxi meters; standardisation and fixation of fares with an increase on the existing rates; limitation of cabs within the city to one for each 1000 of the ipopulation; • regulation of working hours to 55 a week; fixation of wages at £4 5s a week; provision for proper and adequate inspection of operators as regards adhering to the regulations.

A. G. Hunt,, a partner in the Eoslyn taxis, said his company worked on a wage basis. He submitted a copy of a letter: which he had sent to the Minister of Transport alleging that drivers were working over 100 hours a week and that they were1*- lucky if they earned £5 a week. He suggested the use of meters to avoid the cutting of fares, proposing that the Government might assist companies in meeting the ; cost. He: submitted proposals in respect of wages and conditions, arid went on to say that his company worked out all the costs at ,7£d a mile and earnings at B£d. He suggested that there should be some form of national control over taxi services, either Governmental or by a board.

The hearing was, adjourned.