TAXI CONTROL

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 77, 1 April 1943, Page 3

TAXI CONTROL

TRAIN AND BOAT CARS

The action taken by the Wellington Taxi Control Committee to cope better with demands for cars to meet trains and boats was outlined today by the cKairman of the committee, Councillor R. L. Macalister. He said that a number of drivers who had continued to offend would appear before the committee to explain their attitude.

The committee, he said, had directed that ten cars should be available at the Railway Station platform to serve passengers arriving by the Main Trunk Express, 15 for the Limited, 15 for the New Plymouth Express, 15 for the Napier Express, 20 at the Ferry Wharf for the arrival of the Steamer Express, three for the Nelson boat, and 15 for the Picton ferry. The committee believed that that should go a long way towards meeting essential demands, and would certainly be a big improvement upon conditions as they had been. SPECIAL LICENCE FEE. One reason why taxi-drivers had not been attending railway platforms was that the Department had charged a special licence fee for the privilege of doing so, and as they had been able to get plenty of work without station business they had looked upon the special fee as an imposition and had not gone near the arrival platforms. Only 26 of the 180 taxi-drivers in Wellington had taken out special licences, and some who had attended the platforms without paying licence fees had been warned off by the Department. The committee had asked that the special licence should 'be dropped. "Thirteen drivers who have been reported for continuing breaches of the regulations have been notified that they must attend before the committee in the next few days to show cause why the committee should not make some recommendation concerning the reduction or cancellation of their oil fuel licences;' said Councillor Macalister.