HC Deb 06 May 1946 vol 422 cc55-6W
106. Captain Baird

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if, now that he has allowed taxi-aeroplanes to carry passengers to race tracks, he will remove restrictions on the running of taxicabs and private hire motor cars.

Mr. W. Foster:

Allowances of civil aviation fuel are granted to companies operating charter or taxi flights to provide for a limited number of flying hours a month. It would not be practicable to restrict the distance covered in any such flight, within the limits of the fuel allowed, or the purpose of the journey. Hire cars, on the other hand, are an adjunct to local transport services, and within certain limits there is no restriction on the purpose of a journey; but if the petrol allowances for these vehicles were to be consumed on long distance journeys without restriction, this would mean that the normal transport needs of the localities immediately served by these vehicles could not be met.

107. Mr. Harold Davies

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how the numbers of private hire motor cars and provincial taxicabs in commission before the war compare with the numbers in a recent period.

Mr. W. Foster:

There has been a substantial increase in the numbers of both classes of vehicles since before the war. The number of private hire cars has increased from about 27,500 to 36,100, while the number of provincial taxicabs has risen from about 6,500 to 12,300.