TAXI DRIVERS PROTEST

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19365, 1 July 1937, Page 16

TAXI DRIVERS PROTEST

ADDITIONAL LICENSES AUCKLAND PROPOSALS (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. Taxi firms in Auckland decided, at a joint meeting of the Atta and Checker taxi companies yesterday, to protest against the decision of the Auckland City Council to grant licenses to increase the city’s fleet to 200 cars. At present there are 286 cars on the road, and it is proposed to grant 14 additional licenses. The existing bv-law fixes the number of licenses at 260. A statement issued after the meeting points out that taxi-men are alarmed at the City Council’s departure from the recognised principle of sound taxi administration in extending the licenses beyond the accepted economic number. The result of such action is expected to increase the difficulties existing under the present fare schedule. Moreover, the decision is held to be strictly opposed to the declared policy of the council to improve the workers’ conditions. The taxi-men claim that the proposal is unjustifiable, and has been taken without consideration being given to the true position of the taxi industry. They further protest that the council acted without full consultation with the parties concerned, who assert that they could have enlightened the council on the fallacy of its proposal to solve the taxi problems, which were believed by the council to exist, by the addition of licenses. “An increase in the number of cabs,” the statement explains, “will mean that for 23 hours of the day, the drivers of the new taxi cabs will be seriously interfering with the work of the present men. At present, except at peak periods, there is a shortage of work and the extra cabs will involve longer working hours for all concerned.

"The result, therefore, will be equivalent to a cut in the taxi drivers’ wages and the council, without the knowledge or the means of correctly assessing the effect of its action, is clearly adopting an ill-considered and un-Labour-like attitude.”