LICENCES TO IMPORT 490 TAXI CABS FROM BRITAIN TO BE ISSUED

Wanganui Chronicle, 31 May 1949, Page 4

LICENCES TO IMPORT 490 TAXI CABS FROM BRITAIN TO BE ISSUED

WELLINGTON, Last Night (PA)— Licences are to be granted for the importation of 400 taxi-cabs from Great Britain. This decision was announced tonight by the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, who said it had been made in response to representations from the New Zealand Taxi Proprietors’ Association, and following an inquiry by the Minister of Transport, Mr Hackett. Mr Nash said that the cabs, in the main, would replace old vehicles which had been in service since before the war. It was felt they would do much to relieve the need of the public for reliable and efficient taxi services. No licences would be issued for cars the purchase of which would entail the expenditure of dollars. The Minister of Transport had arranged for the cars to be allocated on a priority basis and any taxi proprietor wishing to, purchase a new vehicle under this scheme should make application on a special form available from any district or sub-district office of the Transport Department or from the secretary of the New Zealand Taxi Proprietors’ Association. Mr Nash said that provided the vehicle requested was of British manufacture and was suitable for taxi purposes there would be no restriction with regard to make. Formal application must be made before June 30 of the present year and special import licences would be issued to the assemblers of the particular cars as soon as individual requirements for the successful applicants were known. There were no tags except that an undertaking would b e required of taxi proprietors that the vehicles made available under this scheme would be used for taxi purposes and that they would not be disposed of within 12 months from the date of purchase, except with the written approval of the Commissioner of Transport.