NEW TAXI BY-LAW UNDER CRITICISM.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19248, 9 December 1930, Page 7

NEW TAXI BY-LAW UNDER CRITICISM.

PUBLIC INCONVENIENCE MAY BE A RESULT. Criticism of the City Council’s action in introducing a by-law to prevent touting for fares on the part of taxi-drivers or others was made to-day on behalf of the Gold Band Taxis, Ltd. One of the authorities connected with that firm said that the effect of the by-law would be that all signlights in front of taxis would have to be removed. The clayse concerning the railway station zone would prevent any of the public from using cars which had not taken their turn in the queue, the head of which was required to be 200 yards away from the station entrance. This meant that the public, on a wet night, could not hail the nearest taxi, but might -have to walk 200 yards in the rain. The Gold Band Taxis had bought a garage opposite the station, but the by-law would prevent any of their cars being engaged by telephone for work from the station. The only exception would be when persons walked across to the garage and there took their seats. The station was a central point from which such an organisation could work. It \tfas further stated that only about 25 per cent of the taxis in Christchurch were owned by employers. The rest were privately owned, and it was difficult to see how the City Council could control the working hours of all these men, some of whom worked from 8 a.m. till 1 a.m., the following day. Question of Reasonableness. Councillor A. A. M’Lachlan, who asked the City Council whether it would ■ consider the reasonableness of the bylaw. stated to-day that with the fees which taxi-drivers were called upon to pay they could not “sit down and • freeze”. There must be some sort of signal to denote that a taxi was for hire. It cost money to pass by-laws, and as the unreasonable ones might inflict hardship on a section of the public before being upset by the Courts it was best to study them from every point of view before approving of them. It might be bad ethically to allow touting in any shape or form, but the question was whether the City Council was an ethical tribunal or one that need concern itself with the reasonable conduct of the city’s affairs.