WATER TAXI SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20930, 21 July 1931, Page 10

WATER TAXI SERVICE.

AN AUCKLAND VENTURE. HIGH-SPEED HARBOUR TRAVEL. COMMENCEMENT NEXT SUMMER. A flcotof high-speed wafer faxis will make an appearance on the Auckland Harbour next summer. The first of these craft, a mahogany runabout fitted with a folding hood and propelled by a 100-h.p. to 200-h.p. motor, is now under construction in Auckland and will be ready to take the water in October. Five others'are to bo built for delivery during the summer. Each water taxi will bo in charge of a •uniformed driver, who will have a financial interest in the venture. The'service, the first of its kind in New Zealand,- will bo run on similar linos to those in England, the United States and Australia, where these high-powered craft receive profitable patronago from pleasure-seekers, tourists and business people who demand rapid transport day or night. The Auckland Launch and Water Taxi Company, which is in course of formation, anticipates no difficulty in obtaining licences to operate these boats. • "Each taxi will attain an average speed of from 35 to 40 miles an hour," said the promoter yesterday. "To show how well these services are patronised overseas, one of tho English companies placed an order for 150 boats at one time for uso last summer. In America they use fairly large runabouts with 400-h.p. motors, travelling 42 miles an hour with 20 to 24 passengers. Last summer I had a licence to run a water taxi off tho Auckland beaches, using a small speed-boat outfit, but I found it to be altogether too small for tho traffic offering." It is also the intention of the company to include m its fleet of water taxis two large twin-screw Diesel service launches, with a carrying capacity of about 200 passengers, and a speed of 12 knots, to run between Auckland, Rangitoto, Islington Bay, Motuihi and Kawau during the summer. The vessels are to bo comfortably fitted and each will include a lounge and dance floor, galley and refreshment stall all below deck. It is the intention, by this means, to cater for excursion parties.

A fleet of smaller speed runabouts will be constructed later, to be hired out on flio same system as rental cars.