NO TAXIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24697, 28 August 1941, Page 6

NO TAXIS

PORT CHALMERS DILEMMA PETROL SUPPLIES EXHAUSTED _ ‘ ■ ’•// SERIOUS INCONVENIENCE CAUSED Since mid-day on Tuesday, no taxis have been, available in Port Chalmers. The. operators’, supplies of petrol for the month have been exhausted, and, unless the Government makes an additional allowance, the taxis will remain in the garages until the September supply of petrol becomes available on Monday.

Representations have been made to the oil fuel controller in Dunedin, arid the result, has been that the operators have been advised that they may draw up to certain limits on next month’s allowance. They have adopted the attitude, however, that to do so would only create greater difficulties at the end of next, month.. ...Port Chalmers residents in need of local transport must- therefore, either wait or rely upon the generosity of friends who are still fortunate enough to possess petrol supplies. Appeal to Government •' The Mayor, of Port Chalmers, Mr H. „ S. Watson, in response to the... appeals of operators and citizens.; has - endeavoured to obtain some relief from the serious inconvenience that has been caused. A telegram to the member of Parliament for the district, Mr ,J. W. Munro, brought the reply that he could do no more than advise the operators of their right to draw upon the September ration. Mr Watson’S next appeal was to the Acting Prime Minister, Mr Nash, who has replied , ♦hat he will confer with the Minister of Supply and . advise the result as spon as possible. . ~ . ; ■. Mr. Watson stated yesterday that his main concern was to obtain y relief in cases in which the health of the people Was involved. The nature of the work carried but in Port.Chalraer? was such that were likely to occur, and, as a consequence, taxis might, be yrequired at the shortest notice. Residents who were required to enter hospital were also likely to require transport urgently. In Distress V A young man and a young woman who took a bus to Port Chalmers on Tuesday night, intending td engage a taxi to convey them lo Mihiwaka, provided an. illustration of the plight in which residents of the district are likely to find themselves. After they vhad discovered that the taxis were not running, appeals were made at several quarters, which included even the police, but these inquiries failed to reveal an alternative means -.of transport Dunedin taxi operators regretted their inability, to assist, because, they said, such a'long run would encroach upon their already meagre petrol supplies. ' A suggestion was entertained at one stage that the young people might return to Dunedin and travel in the van of a goods train to Mihiwaka, but, even if the Railway* Department had been prepared to stop the train at , that point, there are restrictions upon travel by unchaperoned young Women on goods trains. In any case, the proposal was dropped, ~ and a private citizen eventually rescued the young couple from their dilemma by volunteering to convey them on the remainder of their jour- . ney in his car. ' Urgent : Caaea '■ Wharf workers engaged late at night are .said to be among those, who-are protesting at the lack of transport, .and one operator-said that a” serious position may arise if a call is received to a maternity ease. He was 'advised that in a case of emergency an appeal through the postmaster at Port Chalmers to, the Transport Department in Dunedin would probably result'in a special grant of . petrol being made, but,: the operator •*pointed .out, this provision presents! no solution of the difficulty caused in the case of a call during the night. . The argument put forward in response to the suggestion that the operators should draw upon the September ration in order ,;, to meet such cases at the present time is that to do so would result in the operators being, in an even worse position in respect of urgent calls at 'a later stage. • r ’.There seems to be no escape from the position that Port Chalmers residents who cannot avoid the necessity of calling a taxi must rely upon their ability to persuade operators' in Dunedin to come-to, their aid.; a-.x;