TAXI PROBLEM

ARE WOMEN CAPABLE OF DRIVING AT NIGHT?

Are women as capable of driving in the London streets as men? The question is raised by the statement of the Home Secretary that women are to be licensed as “drivers of public carriages.” This term would apply not only to taxi-cabs, but to tramcars and ’buses, introducing afresh a problem that male workers thought had been settled. The London and Provincial Union of Licensed Vehicle Workers, which has on its roll of membership male drivers of the three classes, and female conductors of trams and ’buses, is earnestly considering the pronouncement of the Home Secretary. The executive did not understand yesterday whether it was intended to grant licences to women for the three purposes. With regard to cabs, it was stated that there was a large surplus of men who found it impossible to obtain taxis at the garages. Owing to labour and other difficulties, many taxis were unfit for public service, and, in addition to that, there were the petrol restrictions, which curtailed the number of hours a taxi might ply for hire. There were more than enough male drivers to keep all the available vehicles in use. The statement made to a representative of The Daily Telegraph was continued as follows: We would point out that during the year 1916 approximately 700 persons lost their lives and 35,000 were injured by accident owing to the darkening of the streets, and with vehicles driven by experienced men. It must therefore be obvious to the meanest intelligence that the dangers to pedestrians will be manifold. The policy of the Union of Licensed Vehicle Workers during the war has been to assist the nation to the best of its ability in time of national crisis, but we feel that the limit has been reached. We agreed to the introduction of women conductors, and they have to the extent of more than 75 per cent replaced male conductors called to the Colours. Owing to the abnormal war conditions now prevailing, we feel the interest of the nation would be best served by the responsible Minister declaring, as empowered under the Act, that all public services are of national importance.

‘TRYING TO THE NERVES’

As to whether women can become expert drivers of motor vehicles, the Women’s Legion, a very useful organisation, founded by the Marchioness of Londonderry, has demonstrated emphatically that the answer is in the affirmative. Thanks very largely to Miss Christobel Ellis, the Motor Transport Section has been most successful in training and providing female drivers. The War Office, after a very thorough test, accepted drivers for the Royal Flying Corps and the Army Service Corps, and others have been engaged by the Ministry of Munitions. But suppose there is a breakdown? Well, these women are as able as male drivers to attend to it, to put on a tyre, and, in fact, do all the work of a man. They are accomplishing all required of them in busy London streets and in the provinces. They are not passed by the Women’s Legion unless thoroughly trained and experienced. In a square in Belgravia a lady motor-driver thus expressed to our representative her opinion as to whether women would take up the work: “I have been driving a motor-car about the streets of London for over a year, on many occasions at night, and I am convinced that I could drive a taxi safely; but I would certainly not take up the work, and I believe there are few women who will. Driving in the London streets at night is very trying to the nerves, and all the women drivers I know agree that they will be glad when the time comes for the men to replace them. The necessary knowledge of London would be difficult to acquire.” A taxi-driver consulted on the subject had quite made up his mind: Why, men (he said) can’t get cabs, let alone women. What with the parts that came from abroad – and that you can’t get now – and the calling up of mechanics, they can’t keep the cabs up to the mark to pass at Scotland Yard. No doubt proprietors would like to employ women and pay them less than men, and that is where we come in. We don’t mind women if they are employed under the same conditions as ourselves. Let them try it. We’ve got over 12,000 of our men serving the country, and if they are going to try and steal a march on us by employing women at less money, then I’m against it. Some women might drive a cab all right in the daylight, but if you don’t want to get lost in London, or smashed up, take my tip, and don’t trust yourself to the care of a lady taxi-driver at night.

DIFFICULT DRIVING

Members of the Parliamentary Committee of the Trades Union Congress waited upon the Home Secretary yesterday, and submitted several resolutions passed at the last congress at Birmingham. In the course of his reply Sir George Cave said it was a fact that the Home Office had been practically compelled by war conditions to assent to the issuing of licences to women conductors. As to driving, he would have thought the driving of a motor-bus by a woman would be a very difficult operation, and, of course, no licence would be issued to any woman who was not fit for the work. With regard to what would happen after the war, the Commissioner was not bound to renew them indefinitely, and although nobody was anxious to withdraw licences which had once been granted, still, there were no legal obstacles to the Commissioner taking whatever line he thought fit. The deputation must also remember, went on Sir George, that the companies had agreed that their men who had left for military service should be reinstated when they came back, and although women would be licensed they would not have the same right of employment as the men who had received the promise of reinstatement.

The Telegraph’s coverage of the First World War up to this point can be found at: telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive