TWO-SEATER TAXICABS FOR LONDON.
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The Report of the Committee. Recommendations to Press for Cheaper Fares for Two Passengers. Two-seater Cabs to be the Alternative.
THE Committee appointed by the Home Secretary to consider the question of the licensing of two-seater cabs for !lire in the Metropolitan District have just issued their report. It will be remembered that this Committee held a number of sittings—six, to be precise—earlier in the year, hearing 17 witnesses, including representatives of the manufacturers, the cab trade and the licensing authority.
Inquiries had been made in 1,rovinLial towns and elsewhere where two-seater cabs were licensed to ply for hire, and some information was obtained, but, in view of the prevailing conditions, this information, although of considerable interest, has not materially affected the conclusions of the Committee.
The Committee's report covers the legal position with regard to the licensing and approval of taxicabs, and refers to the analogy of the year 1907, when the first motorcabs that were licensed were constructed for two passengers only. These cabs were ultimately adapted to seat additional passengers, the inference drawn being that the real public demand was for a four-seater and not a two-seater. In our own opinion, however, conditions have materially altered since then, and business men and others, nowadays, make much greater use of the taxicab, not merely for the purpose of getting from one place to another, but in order to save time.
No Information About Drivers' Earnings.
The Committee met with a good deal of difficulty in the matter of ascertaining the average daily earnings of a journeyman or owner-driver. It was generally agreed that the cab trade has been, and is still, passing through a bad time, the congested state of traffic in the streets being mainly responsible for this condition of affairs. This was one of the reasons why many drivers had taken to night work.
Last year there were registered 8,043 motorcabs and 10,046 drivers. Curiously enough, a number of cabs owned by large proprietors are laid up in the garages through want of drivers. The reason for this appears to be the growing tendency for men to own their own cabs and, in many cases, to work on two shifts. Since the war 3,442 new cabs have been licensed, 1,437 of them being of Beardmore make, 1,307 being of Unic make, whilst, of the remainder. 604 comprise four other makes and 94 represent 13 different types. The present terms for a Beardmore cab are 175 down, with weekly instalments of £3 3s. over a period of four and a half to five years, making a total of £725.
Arguments for the Two-seater.
The chief arguments_ in favour of the two-seater cabs were put forward by Mr. H. W. Owen. He founded his case on the admitted fact that the cab trade is in a bad way. • This he attributes mainly to the present fares, which, he says, are too high for the public. In his view, it is impossible to run profitably at less than one shilling a mile with the present type of cab. The great majority of passengers do not require a four-seater, which, for them, is uneconomical, because it requires an engine powerful enough to propel a vehicle constructed for a load heavier han that which it normally carries. The business man, being unwilling to afford the present fare, travels by tube, B30 tram or bus, and the cab trade. consequently-, loses its custom. Even on speeds sO Mr. Owen maintains, the older cabs are unable to compete with the omnibuses. A cheaper cab would be a better commercial proposition because It would attract new cab riders and would then run fewer waste miles, for it is the contention of cab drivers that, out of a working day of ten hours, they spend, on an average, seven hours idle.
His diagrams and tables of running costs and standing charges supported his belief that the two-seater cab, at a fare of 9d. per mile, could be run with greater profit both to the proprietor and the driver than the four-seater cab at 1s. per mile, whilst the operation of the two-seater cab would allow of the payment of a commission to the driver 'of 40 per cent, of the fares recorded in place of the present commission of 30 per cent. His figures, however, were based on the hypothesis that there would be more hirings it a cheaper fare were charged, and there is obviously no way short of practical experience of proving or disproving this assumption. The type of cab which Mr. Owen recommends would work out at £350 to £375 for cash, or at £400 on hire-purchase terms.
Mr. Owen contended that an economical fare for the two-seater taxicab would be 94. and not 8d. per mile.
The manufacturing industry, as a whole, took a neutral attitude, whilst representatives of the cab trade were unanimous in opposing the two-seater.
From the Point of view of convenience it was contended that there is nothing that the two-seater • could do which the four-seater cannot do, and that the reverse cannot be said. an certain days in certain weeks, the whole of the cabs are mobilized for carrying passengers and luggage. All cabs should be able to carry this class of traffic as occasion arises, but no cabs could be maintained on this class of work alone. It is the combination of being able to obtain fares in the streets and at the railway stations that has made it possible to provide the public with the cab service they have to-day.
The Objections to the Use of Two Types of Cab.
It was contended that the introduction of a new type would cause friction and confusion with the public when a cab was summoned by telephone, and more particularly in the rush after the theatres.
The second point against the two-seater was that the introduction of further cabs would only make the present state of congestion in the streets worse. The present ranking accommodation in Central LondOn is already insufficient and this is a cause of the admitted nuisance of crawling by cabs, which the introduction of the two-seater would increase.
One of the witnesses, however, anticipated that lower fares would have the effect of spreading cabs fafther afield to the suburbs, so relieving congestion in the central district.
Whilst it is the general practice in London to take the cab at the head of the rank, the hirer actually has the right to select any cab from the rank (this is a fact which is not generally known). Some witnesses thought That it would be a source of danger and obstruction If people called particular cabs from a rank, lint the police anticipate that this difficulty could be overcome. It was argued that the introduction of the twoseater would drive existing cabs off the ranks, but the Committee point out that this argument is inconsistent with the argument that the congestion of traffic would be increased,, whilst the same objection would apply to the licensing of additional four-seaters.
It was admitted by all witnesses from the cab trade that their main objection was against the introduction of a differential fare, which would force all fares down, their other objections being mostly only incidental to this.
It was maintained that the four-seater cab could not run at a lower fare.
On behalf of one section of owner-drivers' a reduction of fare by 50 per cent, was advocated, except between midnight and 6 a.133.
Other representatives of proprietors suggested that the public demand was for a lower initial fare, and proposed that the initial hiring Should be reduced to 6d. for the first half mile and 3d. per quarter of a mile thereafter, the charge by time being lowered from 6s. per hour to 4s. per hour. The London Motor Cab Proprietors' Association intimated that they were prepared to fall in with the suggestion in so far as it affected the initial hiring. Representatives of the Motor Cab Trade Prothction Society, the Motor Cab Owner-drivers' Association and the Transport and General Workers' Union would only agree that the question of reduction of fares beyond the first mile (the fare for which would be 1s.) was worth discussion.
The Committee came to the following conclusions :—Approaching the question from the standpoint that the convenience of the public must be considered before any questions of hardlhip to vested interests, they took the view that, if a more efficient or cheaper service is offered, it ought not to be withheld from the public who would make use of it, unless other public interests are likely to be adversely affected by it.
The Committee realized that the number of persons who habitually used taxicabs forms a very small proportion of the public, and that the majority is adequately served by the existing type Of cab when they have any occasion to use one.
With regard to congestion, the Committee thought that the presence of additioal cabs would result in additional crawling, and competition between two different types would aggravate the evil. In the alternative, if additional cab riders were attracted to an extent which would obviate the necessity for crawling, it would likewise increase the congestion of the streets, because an increased cab mileage would be run. However. it Is the crawling, disengaged cab which produces obstruction so far as cabs are concerned.
The Committee point out that, since the twoseater will provide accommodation for a substantial amount of luggage, it will be capable of dealing with a large proportion of station work.
There was general agreement that the proportion of hiring in which more than two persons are carried does not exceed 10 per cent., so that it is clear that the two-seater would be capable of dealing with a very large proportion of the business, but the introduction of a few two-seaters only would be merely a source of annoyance to the public.
The anticipated difficulties in ranking and confusion at the theatres, whilst real, would possibly not be insuperable.
The argument used by the promoters of the two-seater that the lower fare would attraet more business is, in fact, an argument in favour of a general reduction in taxicab fares.
The Committee are of opinion that the present high rate of 6s. per hour for time hire, in conjunction with frequent traffic delays, is a great deterrent to the hiring of cabs, and they are of opinion that an arrangement by which a Cab could be hired at the rate of 4s. per hour, or on a taximeter mileage, whichever proves in the case. of each hiring to be the greater, would result in a considerable additional patronage of taxicabs.
• They are of the opinion that it is inconvenient that there should be different rate of fare for carrying two passengers; but, if the difference were so substantial as that between the existing rate of fare for the four-seater cf 1s. per mile and the 9d. per mile offered by the manufacturers of the two-seater, the public could not properly be deprived of the advantage of the lower fare for one or two passengers.
The Committee's Recommendations.
Having regard to these considerations, it is their view that the proper solution of the problem is that fares should be reduced all round rather than that there should be two rates of fare.
Their recommendations are :—
(1) That it is not desirable that the Secretary of State should make an Order (as he is empowered to do) which would prohibit the licensing of a vehicle which complies with Scotland Yard requirements on the sole ground that it is constructed to carry fewer than four passengers.
(2) That thc, public convenience is best served by one standard rate of fares, (3.) That the Secretary of State should call a conference of the cab trade with a view to securing an agreed reduction in existing fares applicable to all types of taxis.
(4) That, in the absence of any agreement for a uniform fare for two passengers, the following fares should be flied for the twoseater :— Initial hiring, 9d. per mile, and for each subsequent third of a mile, 3d.
Waiting time at the rate of 4s. per hou:..
As any further addition to the congestion of traffic is contrary to the interest cf the public and to the cab trade, the situation would have to be carefully watched and considered in conjunction with the steps taken by the Ministry of Transport to diminish congestion, and it may be necessary for the Secretary of State tO Obtain powers to limit the number of either or both types licensed to ply for hire.
Mr. It. C. Morrison, M.P., in a minority report, does not agree with the two recommendations, whie.h might have the result of increasing the number of taxicabs and adding to the congestion of traffic. He therefore thinks that, until the Home Secretary obtains power to limit the number of cabs licensed to ply for hire, no steps should be taken to license two-seater cabs.