asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware that street taxis that have carriage fares fixed by the Dublin Police Authorities and sanctioned by His Honour Judge Dromgoole when considering the alterations to Hackney Car Regulations in 1924, will be at a serious disadvantage if the recent proposals to increase the motor-tax are applied to street taxis, which are at present on a taxi flat rate of £12 per annum, and, if, in view of the fact that they are controlled by special Police Regulations, he will see that street taxi owners on this agreed £12 rate will not be included in the proposals to increase motor taxation by horse-power rates.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - TAXICABS AND MOTOR TAX.
I do not consider that the street taxis referred to by the Deputy will be at a serious disadvantage as the result of the new proposals respecting motor taxation, inasmuch as it will be found that some of the taxi-owners will be taxed at £11 instead of the £12 formerly paid, and so far as particulars can at the moment be ascertained, the general run will be about £14 to £16. The maximum tax is £20, but it is considered that the higher rates will apply rather to the country than to the city, as, speaking generally, taxis employed in the city are of a smaller horse-power than hackney cars plying for hire in country towns. I do not accordingly propose to make any alteration in the proposals respecting motor taxation such as is suggested by the Deputy in the second part of his question.
Is the Minister aware that this will discourage the use of comfortable second-hand cars as taxis, and will encourage the use of two-seater Fords, and that is a thing that is not desirable from the point of view of the passenger?
What will be lost in the comfort of the car will be gained by the extra comfort of the roads.
Are there complaints about the comfort of the roads in the city?
There have been.
Is the Minister aware that there are drivers who will be subjected to the £20 tax, some of whom will be pressed so hard that they will have to withdraw from the business altogether if this becomes law?
We can discuss this on the Finance Bill.