§ MR. CAMERONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If he will state the reason why, under the new Cab Regulations, the driver of a two-wheeled cab hired, by distance, but requested by the hirer to wait, is entitled to charge at the rate of eight pence for each period of fifteen minutes, while a four-wheeled cab is only allowed to charge six pence?
MR. BRUCE, in reply, said, the simple answer to the Question was that the time of the Hansom cabmen was more valuable than that of the four-wheeled cabmen. When under the regulations of last year the owners of cabs were allowed to fix their own fares there was an almost unanimous expression of opinion on the part of the four-wheeled cabmen that they would adhere to the old prices, while there was an equally unanimous desire on the part of the Hansom cabmen to be allowed to charge 6d. an hour extra as to time. The reason they gave for that was that they travelled faster, and that their horses were better and more expensive. The loss of a quarter of an hour, therefore, would be greater to them than to the four-wheel cabmen. Under these circumstances, he thought it right to sanction the practice which had existed in that respect during the last 12 months.