THE HAULIERS' INQUIRE WITHIN.
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A Short Series, Dealing with the Hire Car and Its Problems, and Commencing This Week with Reference to a Very Special Type.
IHAVE been receiving inquiries of late relating to hire problems and to coats and charges in connection with the hire and maintenance of cars and motor vehicles of all types. It is obvious, too, from the correspondence that the operation of the regulations governing the business of plying fqr hire is but scantily understood, and I propose to include that subject in these articles. The matter is a big one and affords plenty of scope, for it embraces all twes of motor vehicles from the two-seater runabout to the large and expensive limousine ; from the country carrier's goods and passenger van, to the luxurious motor coach or motorbus, and from the Ford van to the twelve-ton lorry. Problems, both of hire and of maintenance, exist in connection with all these vehicles, and every individual type may come up for treatment in any one of three or four ways, so that, if I were to take each of the types individually, treating it in every possible way, I could easily keep myself occupied with this subject. until well into 1925 at least.
Legal Problems of Taxicab Operation.
However, as it is probable, only too probable, that the editor will demur at the extravagance of treatment along these lines, I propose to try to condense the matter a little, and deal with the types collectively in blocks but, first of all, to consider one very special type of hire car, namely, the London taxicab, which, as every one who knows anything at all of the conditions will admit, must inevitably be dealt with alone, since it is a special vehicle, bound to comply with special laws relating to its use and construction. As a preliminary, it will be necessary to consider, as briefly as may be, what those conditions are, and before we do that we must make up our minds definitely as to what we understand by the laws governing hackney carriages, as they apply throughout the country.
In the first place, it is necessary to distinguish, even if on rather broad lines, between private hire and public hire, concerning which a very considerable amount of confusion exists. A private hire car may be said to be one which is, when not actually in use, kept in the garage of its proprietor. Anyone wishing to use it must arrange with the proprietor to do so, making use, for that purpose, of any of the usual means of communication, as by telephoning him, wiring him, writing to him, or calling upon him. He may not stop him in the street and hire him there and then to run a journey. Any such hiring, effected by any of the methods above prescribed, will natur_ ally be for some period either of time or distance, and when the hire is completed the car returns to the garage so as to be in readiness to carry out any further orders. Such a car may be let out with, or without, a driver. In the majority of cases a driver goes with it, and, in the absence of any special provision to the contrary, the hirer would naturally assume that the driver would be provided. Of late there has grown up, particularly in London, but also in the provinces, a business of letting cars out on hire without a driver, so that the person who hires the vehicle takes complete charge of it. This, however, is a specialised branch of the hire business, governed by certain special conditions as regards charges, and particularly as regards insurance, and I do not propose to deal with it just now. A private hire car may, or may not, carry the hackney carriage plate. There is no law compelling it to do so, and it is absent from the majority of B42 private hire cars, but if the plate is not carried the owner must pay the full licence for the vehicle on the one pound per horse power basis, as in the ease of any ordinary touring car. If it carries the hackney carriage plate, he need only pay the licence for it as a hackney carriage, the actual amount being 115 in the Metropolitan area, and 212 outside thereof.
What is "Plying for Hire ?"
The carrying of the plate and the payment of the hackney carriage licence fee does not, in any case or anywhere, entitle the owner to ply for hire with the car concerned. By plying for hire is meant picking up passengers in the street, as is done by a 'bus or taxicab. For that privilege, a special licence to ply for hire is required, and, although the fee lot this licence is comparatively a small one, being 22 in London And not more than about 5s. outside of London, the holder of the licence becomes immediately subject to certain restrictions as to his course of conduct. Moreover, the licence may be withheld by the local authorities for the district in which it is desired to ply, and they alone have power to grant it. They may also impose conditions, both as to the type of vehicle, which they will consent to license, and as to the conditions under which it may be used. Therein lies the important difference between private and public hire, and it must be borne well in mind by the man who is considering whether he shall venture upon this business or not. He must begin by making up his mind which course he is going to follow, and should realise that, although, if he has no licence to ply for hire, he cannot so ply, it is not, on the other hand, certain that if he possesses the necessary licence be can refuse to ply if called upon to do so.
It is obvious, from enquiries which I have received, that I cannot too strongly emphasise the fact that the fitting of a hackney carriage plate has nothing
whatever to do with the matter. Its use merely saves the owner a few pounds per annum in taxation -2.-the difference between the horse-power tax on the car which he owns, and the 212 or 215 hackney car
riage licence. The plate is not used, as a rule, because private hire car proprietors have found that their clients prefer not to have the plate on the ear which they hire, and the owner, therefore, finds that the additional amount which he has to pay for the greater tax is returned to him,
To be quite clear, I should specify that the plate to which I have been referring is the semi-circular one which is usually mounted above the rear registration number plate, bearing upon it the words " Hackney Carriage : six (or other number) persons." I do not mean the plate which is issued with a licence to ply for hire, and which carries a, special number, meant as a distinguishing mark to meet the requirements of the particular authority which has granted the licence. As I understand the matter, the issue of the first-named plate and licence is intended to indicate that the licensing authority considers the vehicle to be suitable for public hire work. The issue of the last-named plate and its licence gives permission to ply for hire on the public highway.
I have' alreacly indicated one difference between London and the provinces in respect of hackney carriages, namely, the difference in the amount of the annual tax. There are many others, brought about to some extent by the fact that the conditions of use are governed by different enactments. In London, the control of hire cars is governed by the Metropoli: tan Public Carriage Act ; in the provinces, the Town Police Clauses Act operates. The principal differenc. e is, that the former Act vests the right to issue licences in one of the Principal Secretaries of State, whose powers are for this purpose 'exercised by the Commissioner of Police, Bo that in London the would be hackney carriage proprietor desiring to ply for hire must go to the police for his licence. In the provinces, it is the local council (borough or urban, as the case may be) which .issues (or refuses) such licences.
• n London, the Commissioner of Police has exercised his powers to the extent of laying down strin gent regulations governing the design and construc tion of taxicabs as well as their operation. Provincial authorities, with the exception of the councils of certain large cities who have followed London's example, do not so closely concern themselves with the matter. The London regulations, which have
this year been revised in certain. particulars, are-too many and too long to be cited here at length. They should, however, be studied by the intendingtaxicab proprietor, who will obtain a copy from Stationery Office. The regulations affect the following Matters :—
The design in general: this is specified in detail as regards certain particular measurements. If the
prospective taxicab owner buys a vehicle of known make, he need not concern himself to any great extent, as the maker will, as a rule, guarantee that the vehicle will pass Scotland Yard This applies also to the conditions governing coach work. It may be of interest to note that the modified regulations state that "four-wheel brakes are not authorized, and in any case would only be considered if they complied in all respects with the conditions laid down for brakes, and applications may be subject to expert examination and trial."
Every London taxicab has to be presented at Scotland Yard once a year for inspection, so that the authorities may certify its fitness to have its licence • renewed. As a preliminary to such inspection, both chassis and coachwork must be overhauled.
THE SKOTCH. •