“CRUISING” TAXIS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20362, 20 July 1934, Page 5

“CRUISING” TAXIS.

Attempt to Check Practice in Sydney. DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT. (Special to the “ Star.”) SYDNEY, July 12. The other day in the Legislative Assembly Mr Jarvie, the U.A.P. member, who does not usually criticise the Government, drew the attention of the House to certain clauses in the traffic regulations gazetted recently under the Transport Act. They provide that, no cab shall be drawn at a speed slower than that of other moving traffic, and that a disengaged cab shall not pass any point in the city within twenty minutes of having previously passed that point. These regulations are clearly meant to check ‘‘ cruising ” —the practice of moving slowly up and down the streets looking for “ fares.” This practice, according to recent decisions, is legal, but it is certainly carried to excess here.

During this discussion it was stated that “ a recent check in a busy street at the peak hour disclosed that out of 100 vehicles counted seventy-five were cruising taxis.” This means heavy congestion of traffic and consequent danger to the general public; and no serious objection to these regulations was recorded. But there was a further order gazetted that “ a disengaged cab shall not pick up a fare within 100 yards of a cab rank where there is a disengaged cab, unless having been previously hired by this' fare.” The Nearest Stand. Mr Jarvie maintained that “a person should not be prevented from choosing the type of taxi-cab that he desired.” The new regulation means that a person must hire the taxi-cab on the nearest stand, irrespective of the type of vehicle and the rate of charge levied; and Mr Jarvie pointed out that “ this

would sound the death-knell of taxi-cab companies, which had been giving the public excellent service at a cheap rate ”; an the managers of the various taxi companies that have been engaged in rate-cutting are naturally opposed to it. But, after all, the convenience and the pocket of the private citizen should not be ignored. Mr Brunner, as Minister for Transport, went into figures to show that people who use taxis are accustomed to too much public consideration. A tram passenger, he told the House, occupies six square feet of road space, a bus passenger thirteen square feet and a car or taxi passenger eighty-cne square feet—so why should the taxi-fare be considered? This is all very well—but take the case recorded the other day by the

“ Telegraph.” A man arrived at Wynyard Station by train. It was raining; he wanted a taxi, and, seeing another man alight ,’Om a taxi, he went up to the empty cab and engaged it. But the driver shook his head—against the rules! The man, who wanted to hurry and to dodge the rain, must walk 100 yards to the next stand and eneage his taxi there. Now, is this rule intended to discourage the use of taxis or to exasperate private citizens?—or what?