XN000022-1976-07-22 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1976

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GOVT PLANS TO ISSUE MORE TAXI LICENCES

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THE GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING TO ISSUE MORE TAXI LICENCES NEXT YEAR.

DISCLOSING THIS TODAY, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MR. A.T. ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT, SAID THAT THIS MOVE WAS PART OF A PACKAGE OF PROPOSALS AFFECTING TAXIS, PUBLIC HIRE CARS AND +PAK PAIS+ ON WHICH THE ADVICE OF THE TRANSPORT ADVISORY COMMITTEE WAS RECENTLY OBTAINED.

HE SAID THAT ONCE SUFFICIENT NEW TAXI LICENCES HAD BEEN ISSUED IT WAS THE INTENTION SUBJECT TO APPROVAL OF THE NECESSARY LEGISLATION TO PHASE OUT THE EXISTING CATEGORY OF +RED PLATE+ OR PUBLIC HIRE CAR.

MR. ARMSTRONG-WR ISHT SAID THAT IT WAS NOT GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO PHASE OUT PUBLIC HIRE CARS OVERNIGHT. THESE VEHICLES, HE EXPLAINED, WOULD BE PHASED OUT BY NOT RENEWING THEIR LICENCES WHEN DUE, STARTING MOST PROBABLY BY JUNE NEXT YEAR. THIS MEANS THAT BY THE END OF JUNE 1978 PUBLIC HIRE CARS WILL BE COMPLETELY ABOLISHED.

THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT SAID THAT AT PRESENT THERE WERE MEARLY 1,300 PUBLIC HIRE CARS, BUT MANY OF THEM WERE PAINTED TO RESEMBLE TAXIS AND HAD A FORM OF METER AND OPERATED AS THOUGH THEY WERE TAXIS.

ALTHOUGH, IN LAW, PUBLIC HIRE CARS SHOULD BE HIRED ONLY ON A PRE-ARRANGED CONTRACT, MANY ARE ESTIMATED TO OPERATE, AT LEAST FOR PART OF THE DAY, ILLEGALLY AS TAXIS.

HR. ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT SAID, HOWEVER, THAT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REASONS IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO ISSUE MORE THAN 100 NEW TAXI LICENCES EACH MONTH BY TENDER BUT THESE WOULD BE ISSUED FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD UNTIL IT WAS CONSIDERED THAT THE OVERALL TAXI STRENGTH WAS ADEQUATE TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF THE PUBLIC AND SO THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE TO RESORT TO THE USE OF ILLEGAL TAXIS.

HE ALSO SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN SOME SUGGESTION IN THE PRESS RECENTLY THAT PUBLIC HIRE CAR OPERATORS WOULD BE ALLOWED TO EXCHANGE THEIR CURRENT LICENCES FOR TAXI LICENCES.

+THIS IS NOT TRUE,+ HE SAID. +PUBLIC HIRE CAR OPERATORS WILL HAVE TO TENDER FOR TAXİ LICENCES THE SAME WAY AS EVERYONE ELSE.+

MR. ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT SAID THAT THERE STILL REMAINED A GENUINE REQUIREMENT FOR SOME FORM OF PRIVATE HIRE CARE SERVICE WHICH COULD BE PRE-BOOKED AND IT WAS THE INTENTION TO CATER FOR THIS BY INTRODUCING A NEW FORM OF PERMIT TO ENABLE PRIVATE CARS TO CARRY PASSENGERS FOR HIRE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

/PUBLIC HIRE