WAITING FOR TAXIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22777, 10 July 1937, Page 19

WAITING FOR TAXIS

Sir,—l note your paragraph re the above. It is freely admitted by those engaged in the taxi industry that there are occasions' when its patrons have to wait for taxis, and not only at peak periods. A typical day for such, occurrences is during sudden sharp showers interspersed with periods of sunshine. This results iii calls for taxis in tho suburbs. If analysed it will he found that most of those extra calls are for short distances to catch trains, etc. —one shilling fares. There is an explanation for the shortage of taxis, and there is a remedy, but so far, all efforts made directly or indirectly by the taxi proprietors to the City Conned have been without result. Tho remedy is an adjustment of taxi fares to meet the increased cost of living. Fares were fixed by the present City in December, 1935, and even at that time when living was much cheaper the fixing of the maximum fares at Is flag fall for first mile and 6d per mile thereafter was resented by the majority of taxi proprietors and was certainly not in accordance with their request which was for fixation of a minimum fare of not less than (3d per milo as a first effort to stop price cutting, which had been done frequently up to that time by different groups of taxi proprietors. Also, having regard to the five-mile boundary limits, which were covered by the taxi companies' direct wire telephone services, and suitable arrangements made for catering for race trnfhy and overseas shipping at Is per mile: it these arrangements had not been disturbed the position would not have been so bad, but under tho 19:35 fares all boundaries wore swept away and other restrictions imposed so that it became impossible to cater for the outlying districts beyond the five-mile area except at a loss to the individual taxi operator. In consequence, the "outpost ' taxi stands in the suburbs concerned have now no attraction for the taximen—and this position will continue until the fares are made more equitable. The introduction of 14 more taxi cabs or twice that number will not materially improve the position. There is no shortage of taxi cabs—they are unevenly distributed according to -circumstances, and under the existing fares the taximen remain at the nearest taxi stand to tho terminal point at which thcii iaio was deposited—thus, if there is a heavy demand from all suburbs into tho city, ns frequently happens, the suburban taxi stands are depleted and remain so, as the taxi proprietor cannot aiiord to , make empty trips from the city to suburbs or vice versa. Had Enough.