§ Major GLYNasked the Home Secretary if, since the Commissioner of Metropolitan Police requires every taxicab presented for the renewal of its annual licence to pass an efficiency test, he will give instructions that particulars 1406W regarding the firm by which the vehicle was constructed and the date and place of manufacture shall be recorded?
§ Mr. CLYNESI am advised that it is doubtful whether any useful purpose would be served by the keeping of records of the nature suggested in the question. The sole point for consideration on annual presentation of a vehicle is whether or not it satisfies the conditions of fitness laid down, and is in sufficiently good condition to continue to ply for hire. The age of the vehicle, its place of manufacture and the firm by which it was manufactured would not be determining factors in this respect.
§ Major GLYNasked the Home Secretary what is the number of taximeter cabs of the old type and of the new type, respectively, now in service in the Metropolitan Police area; how many of these taxicabs are owned by the drivers and how many by fleet proprietors; and, in view of the great discrepancy between the taxicabs all plying for hire at a uniform rate of fare, whether the Chief Commissioner of Police has considered any scheme whereby the provision of up-to-date taxicabs can be encouraged and taxicabs of the old type refused licences with the least hardship possible to their owner drivers?
§ Mr. CLYNESAs regard the first and second parts of the question, it would be a most laborious undertaking to extract particulars from the records, even if it were possible to differentiate between old and new types of taxicabs. As regards the last part of the question, all vehicles have to conform to an established standard of fitness and, provided they do so, it would be unreasonable to reject any of them on account of their being of a particular type, 1,704 new taxicabs were licensed during the two years ended 31st December last. This represents over 20 per cent. of the total number of taxicabs licensed to ply for hire. No tightening up of the present standards would be possible without inflicting hardship on owners.
§ Mr. WOMERSLEYasked the Home Secretary whether he will request the licensing authorities of the Metropolis to institute this year a special examination of taximeter-cabs for the purpose of eliminating worn-out and/or out-of- 1407W date taximeter-cabs by means of a super-cut in the numbers of renewal licences of such taximeter-cabs?
§ Mr. CLYNESThe Commissioner has no powers to act in the manner proposed. He can only reject such vehicles as fail to conform to the Commissioner's conditions of fitness. Periodical inspections of all classes of licensed vehicles take place with a view to the elimination of the unfit, and the Commissioner does not think that a special inspection is necessary or desirable.
§ Mr. WOMERSLEYasked the Home Secretary whether he will request the Metropolitan taximeter cab licensing authorities to consult the makers of taximeters for the purpose of improving the visibility of the hiring flag signal so that it may be more easily seen, especially after sunset?
§ Mr. CLYNESI am informed by the Commissioner of Police that experiments with illuminated taximeter hiring flags are already being conducted on several cabs, following consultation with the agents of taximeter manufacturers.