TAXI CONTROL

Grey River Argus, 14 December 1938, Page 12

TAXI CONTROL

BY TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT. HAMILTON, December 13. An important case, which in effect was a test case for New Zealand, came before the No. 1 Licensing Authority, Mr. E. J. Phelan, at Hamilton to-day, when Hamilton Taxj-Pro-prietors, the first in the Dominion to be brought under the Transport Act, made application for licenses for their taxis in Hamilton to come under Department’s control, following recent petitions to the Minister of Transport (Hon. R. Semple), made by the Hamilton Borough Council. Mr. Phelan stated that the procedure would be followed in every other town in the country. Applications for the renewal of 19 taxi licenses were made by the Checker Cab Company, and 18 applications were made by the owner-drivers of the Atta Company. Mr. Phelan said that the Minister of Transport had declared that all taxis would hitherto come under the scope of the Transport Act, and all business transactions of the taxi companies would be controlled by the licensing authority. After hearing lengthy evidence respecting hours, conditions and wages, the existing licenses were granted, decision respecting the fares and the wages of drivers being reserved. “I am hoping for the day when taxis in Auckland will be run by the one company, and the day may come when, in every town in the Dominion, taxis- will be run as they should be run by one company in each town,” concluded Mr. Phelan.