BY “PASSENGER MILES.”

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 79, 2 March 1938, Page 9

BY “PASSENGER MILES.”

COMPUTING TAXI FARES. I'er Press Association. CHIUSTCHURCH, March ]. A decision of the Christchurch Metropolitan Licensing Authority that taxi tares must be charged on "cab miles" has been reversed by the Minister of Transport. In his judgment on appeals agaiusr decisions of the authority he has stipulated that all taxi-cabs in Christchurch are to be equipped with taxi-meters. Tliis means that the principle of charging by "passenger miles," a principle that was rejected by the authority when it gave its decision on applications for taxi licenses in November, has been adopted by the Minister. Pares to be charged have also been fixed by the Minister. Pares fixed by the authority on the basis of "cab miles" were : One or two passengers up to two miles, Is 6d; every mile or part thereafter, 6cl; for each passenger over two for the whole or part of the journey, an extra charge of 6d. Those fixed by the Minister, to be charged according to the distance travelled by the passenger, are: For one or two passengers, not exceeding half a mile. Is; frr every half-mile or part thereafter, 6d for each additional passenger over two for the whole or part of the journey, an cxtrad charge of 6tl. This involves a completely new method of calculation. Under the system approved by the authority, a passenger pays for the distance he travels and for the extra distance the taxi has to return to the point of hiring or to Cathedral Square, whichever is the nearer. The new fares, which will be calculated automatically, will be only for the distance the passenger travels.. Meters must be installed by a date'within the next six] months as fixed by the authority. J