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Why Not a War Levy to Augment Night Fares by London Taxicabs ?

13th January 1916
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Page 1, 13th January 1916 — Why Not a War Levy to Augment Night Fares by London Taxicabs ?
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Keywords : Taxicab

We have been interested students of the developments in the London taxicab situation during the past few months. The behaviour of London taxicabbies has always possessed both business and personal interest for us. We may recall our successful efforts, some five years ago, to assist the public to understand the true position at that date, and more particularly our publication of " Twenty points for taxicab users," both in pamphlet and walldiagram form. Those " Twenty points " were exposed, so long as they held good, in. the principal London clubs, hotels and theatres, whilst some 20,000 copies of the pamphlet were put by us into free circulation. They ceased to apply, of course, when the drivers were allowed to take the extras.

We have made a definite suggestion, to Sir Edward Henry, Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis, in connection with the present shortage of taxicabs on the streets at night-time. Hirers of cabs must realize that nothing but a definite inducement to the drivers will really solve the difficulty: our suggestion is based upon that well-defined factor in the case. There must be something in the nature of a war bonus for the drivers who continue to hold themselves—despite the added risks—at the disposal of the public after sunset. We have made the suggestion in the fewest possible words. It reads as follows:— " That a war levy shall be sanctioned, until further notice, between half-an-hour after sunset and 6 a.m., on some basis which commends itself to the Public Carriage Office, such as 3d. in the shilling (or any part of a shilling), the levy not to apply to extras, but only to the hire portion of the total fare."

There may be good reasons for reducing the how s during which a war levy can be made. If drivers were to receive such a bonus too early in the evening, they might seek to stay off the streets during the afternoons. perhaps, be best to let tha bonus begin to run from, say, 9 o'clock each evening, instead of from half-an-hour after sunset. Our suggestion, of course, whilst it primarily concerns the Metropolitan Police area, might in principle be applied in many parts of the country.

War bonuses and war levies are the rule of the day, and not without reason. Workmen of all classes are getting better pay, in the shape of bonuses or increaSed wages; club members are now thoroughly accustomed to a war levy on their meals. These are precedents, we think, for sanctioning the war levy on taxi-fares. We believe that the adoption of this scheme cannot fail to have the desired results, although we admit that it does not bring material relief to the owners. They will solely benefit pro rata with the increased use of the cabs, but we consider that such extra revenue will be remunerative in relation to the longer hours of working, if the drivers are notsatisfied in the first instance, neither owners nor the hiring public can expect to be. The history of the London taxicab trade has been none too bright. The control long ago passed out of the hands of the companies, and they have gone into liquidation, or its equivalent., with but one outstandinr, exception. The day of relief may come— after the war—too late., in the shape of a ls.-per-mile basis, but matters will be worse before they are better.


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