A SIDECAR TAXI VENTURE IN YORKSHIRE.
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The Experiences of an Owber who Introduced Vehicles of This Type into Keighley.
A LTHOUGH it would appear that _Lithe field for the sidecar taxi is somewhat limited, there are many indications of suitable opportunities for developing this very economical machine, and proof of this was found in a conversation a representative of Ph Commercial Motor had with Mr. A. M. Sedgwick, of Keightey, who introduced sidecarnaxis into , that town and took what appeared to be a venturesome step in leaving a position in an Excise office to drive a machine he purchased a year ago last September.
This was the first to be used in Xeighley, but, since that time, Mr. Sedgwick has purchased a second Machine, and latterly, in consequence of the work developing, and in order to Cater for a slightly different class of customer, he has purchased a six-seater Daimler car for taxi work. Two other concerns have also put sidecars on the road in direct opposition, and all appear to be kept busy at all times of the day and night. This is in a town of 42,000 inhabitants, and if it can be done in Iceighley it would appear that there is an opportunity for similar machines in many towns which are net yet pro-' vided for.
It has invariably been found in practice that the provision di a means of transport has, sooner or later, created a demand, and once this occurs it grows steadily and often rapidly.
Mr. Sedgwick controverted the suggestion that the sidecar fakes all its work from the regular taxis, and remarked that he thought he had got a very great proportion of new work, or work which would not otherwise have gone to the taxi owner. He commenced operations at home, where he had facilities for garaging, and, although this was some distance from the centre of the town, the telephone brought sufficient orders to justify the purchase of the second machine after four months running with the first. Both machines are B.S.A.s, and he speaks highly of the sound workmanship and the absence of -trouble. There has not been a single instance of frame trouble in the case of
044 .either machine, and work has been heavy during the whole of the time the vehicles have been in use. The cars literally jumped into popular favour as soon as they were known, and the charge of fid. per mile brought in a very large number of customers who would not pay the full price for a four-wheeler. Mr. Sedgwick said he made a definite charge of (id. per mile up to midnight, with a double fare after that, and he attributed much of his success to the fact that he stuck to his basic charge whenever the call was made, as against the practice of taxi drivers when called from a garage, where the Licensing Committee's fixed charge did not apply.
The journeys he has been called upon to make have varied very considerably in character. The work is not confined to work about the town and runs to the station from private houses, but trips to the Midlands and to coast towns are frequent. Late hours are, of course, the rule rather than the extepton, and a good deal of work is brought in by people returning from dances in the early hours of the morning. Regular users include cripples, who do not find it convenient to get into a car, and in no instance has Mr.
Sedgwick found any real objection on the part 'of anyone to a sidecar for any class of journey where One or two passengers were concerned. For some time he used the taxi stands in the town, and it is interesting to note that in one instance his journeys to one outlying village were so numerous that a local bus service got from this the idea to run a service on this route. Many people from this village used the sidecar to come into town, and told the driver that, previously, they had never come to town once .a year, and as many as ti score of journeys have had to be made on Saturday nights. Summer and winter traffic varies in character and works out at about 2,000 suites per month at a rough average.. The telephone is the greatest asset in a business of this character, and Mr. Sedgwick said that for quite a time he had been-engaged almost wholly on work booked by telephone, having an extension from the garage to his home in case all the vehicles were out at once and the garage left unattended. The work is not easy, involving, as it does, an almost continuous service, but it will be seen that, provided an efficient organization can be set up, there is opportunity for enterprise.