THE TAXI SERVICES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25134, 27 January 1943, Page 2

THE TAXI SERVICES

It is quite clearly a recent occurrence in a suburban district that has prompted the Mayor to give notice of his intention to move at the next meeting of the City Council that women taxi-drivers shall not be employed after 11 p.m. It is, of course, in view of this occurrence, impossible to disregard the existence of a risk that women drivers may, in the absence of safeguards, be required at late hours to accept persons of dubious character as fares. The risk is not one to which they are exposed only after 11 o’clock. It is certainly greater then than it is earlier in the evening, but even on a day shift a woman driver may, in quiet and little-frequented localities, incur the risk of annoyance from eccentric and ill-behaved fares, and the argument by which the Mayor’s proposal will be supported is one, therefore, that might actually be used against the utilisation at any time of the services of women drivers. It is highly desirable and important that these drivers shall be protected against the danger of molestation of any kind, and the public will cordially agree that safeguards should be provided against the possibility of their having to undergo unpleasant experiences while they ’are employed in the performance of their duties. It may be suggested, however, that this object may be achieved if full emphasis is placed on one of the present conditions of the employment of women drivers on night shift, namely, the condition that they shall be given selected duty only. In existing circumstances, when a great many persons have no alternative to keeping their private cars in their garages, the firms that employ women drivers must have lengthy lists of customers of unex-

ceplionable character who frequently require transport late at night. There would, on this account, seem to be no lack of suitable employment, in the form of selected duty, for women drivers after the hour at which the Mayor would have them prevented from following their adopted occupation. Not only may a desirable class of customer of the taxi proprietors be placed at considerable inconvenience, but a serious disorganisation of the taxi services at night may be threatened if the employment of women drivers after 11 o’clock is prohibited. After what has happened, it is not to be supposed that doubtful jobs will be assigned to women drivers.