§ Mr. COURTHOPEasked the Home Secretary the total numbers of taxi-cabs and taxi-cab drivers, respectively, holding licence from Scotland Yard on 31st December, 1911?
§ Mr. McKENNADuring the year ending the 31st December, 1911, there were licensed 7,626 motor cabs and 8,310 motor cabdrivers. Certain of the latter were licensed to drive either horsed cabs or motor cabs. Of the drivers, probably over 200 had died or lost their licences by the 31st December; and some of the cab licences were no longer in force, but the exact numbers cannot be given without the expenditure of much time.
§ Mr. COURTHOPEasked the Home Secretary whether the Metropolitan Police refuse to take action against drivers of motor cabs for driving fares without lowering the flags of their taximeters, although the City Police take effective action in similar cases; whether in an increasing number of cases advantage is being taken of this refusal, whereby the public and the 289 cab owners are defrauded; and whether he will issue instructions to the Metropolitan Police to take action against the offending drivers in all future cases of this nature?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe Commissioner informs me that it is not the case that the Metropolitan Police have refused to take action against drivers who, having been hired, have neglected to set the taximeter in motion. They have, indeed, taken action in several such cases. The police have no reason to believe that this kind of fraud is on the increase.