FARES FOR CHILDREN

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24849, 22 March 1944, Page 4

FARES FOR CHILDREN

TAXI AND BUS SERVICES LIMITS FIXED BY REGULATION So mo financial benefit to members of the travelling public with families is afforded by a recent amendment to the Transport Licensing Passenger Regulations, 1936, governing the operation of all passenger-service vehicles other than tramcars. The new regulation defines tlie ages at which children shall be allowed to travel for half adult fares and at which no fares shall be charged. Most taxi and bus operators will be affected to some degree. Under the new regulation, no fare is payable for a child under the age of four years if in the care of a person 15 years old or over. For children under 15 and over four, the fares are fixed at I half those charged for adults, except I in cases where licences make provision | for reduced fares for children amount- ; ing to less than half the adult fares, ; whether or not the age limit is fixed in ' the licences at 15. in these cases a . similarly reduced fare shall be charged. 1 The effects of the alteration should not be felt to any large extent in coni nection with the operation of taxis in I Auckland, where the upper age limit is now fixed at 12, and lree travel is i allowed for children under six. The | reason for this is that taxi charges are I not made individually until the num- | her of passengers exceeds four. As ; very few cabs carry more than five pasi sengers, it is not likely that there will ! be frequent need for the operation of | the new regulation, i Bus operators who in the past have I permitted children over the age of 15 — j in one instance the limit is now 18 years 1 —to travel for half fare are not allowed |to make any reduction to bring the ; limits stated" in their licences into line ' with the regulations, as the increased ! revenue would constitute an increase of 1 fares under the Stabilisation Regula- | tions. On the other hand, the majority i of operators on whose services the limit j for half-fare travel has previously been ! between the ages of 12 and 15 will be j required to increase the ago to 15.

FLOODED FARM LANDS SEED AND FERTILISER SENT (0.c.) WHAKATANE, Tuesday Advice has been received that the Government has set aside a quantity of fertiliser for the land inundated by the recent floods in the Whakatane and Rangitaiki districts. A quantity of grass seed has also been consigned to Whakatane. Prompt attention is necessary on tlie part of the farmers or the season | may become too far advanced and the i opportunity for resowing in time missed. | Approximately 3000 acres of farm I lands in the vicinity of Whakatane and Thornton were covered by the second flood within three weeks when the Whakatane River left its banks and poured over the low-lying country last Friday. The unfortunate aspect of this visitation was that it covered manyhundred acres of land which had recently been resown with grass seed. The water invaded properties at Piripai and Paroa and fanned out rapidly over the countryside until it reached the back of Edgecumbe. Settlers at Edgecumbe put up a successful fight 1 against the Rangitaiki, sandbagging ' the weak spots and thereby keeping the Hood water in check until the river subsided. Advice has been received bv the Automobile Association (Auckland) that the Napier to Wairoa highway has been reopened to traffic subject to one small detour, which, it is anticipated, will not bo necessary for very long. It is also reported that a few vehicles are getting through on the Napier to Taupo roac 1 by means of towing, but conditions are expected to improve rapidly with a continuation of fine weather. INFORMATION NOT GIVEN PENALTY OF £25 IMPOSED (P.A.) WELLINGTON. Tuesday For failing to comply in all respects with certain requirements under section 2 of the Finance Act, No. 3, 1943, Paul Dolby Trickett. manufacturers' agent, was fined £25 and costs by Mr. W. F. Stilwcll, S.M., to-day. The information was laid by George Lawrence, accountant, to whom had been delegated by the Controller and Auditor-General certain powers. It was stated that Lawrence asked Trickett for information relating to a sale from J. J. McCaskev and Son. Limited, to the Army Department of goods known as special proofing liquid. Failure to comply led to the prosecu- I tion.

The magistrate ruled that the questions put related to a Government contract as defined in the section mentioned. Also, that: although there was no evidence to establish a contract between defendant and the Government there was evidence that there was a contract by way of sale from McCaskev, Limited, to the Government and inquiries of defendant who supplied large quantities to McCaskev came properly within the scope of the authority conferred by subsection 2,