Wreck of the Hesperus

When I was driving cabs in Newcastle in the 80s and 90s a lot of the fleet was (how shall I put it) rather old.  Car 7 was a 1972 HQ Kingswood; 23 and 33 were XC Falcons (of a similar age to Car 7).  Some of these vehicles had, in fact, travelled well over three quarters of a million kilometres and were quite tired indeed.

It is a tribute to their manufacturers at how cars can get such a flogging, and yet still remain roadworthy and operational.  One of the contributing factors is that a taxi engine very rarely gets cold, and so all the wear and tear from cold starts you get in a normal car doesn't happen in a vehicle operated for such long periods.

However, as one of my passengers informed me, "I'm not too keen on paying 70c a kilometre to get carted around in a twenty year old clapped out Kingswood".  At the time I think he was getting carted around in a fifteen year old Kingswood, and I could easily see his point.

I was glad when in the early 1990s, the RTA brought in a new rule that any vehicle to be operated as a taxi had to be less than six years old.  This meant far greater safety for passengers, probably lower maintenance costs for the owners, but a much greater capitalisation on their part.  Nearly every taxi in Newcastle needed to be replaced.

There was a transition period in place for existing vehicles: I think everyone got two years to comply.  The base owned a number of Special Purpose Vehicles, which were modified to carry wheelchairs.  There was a four-year phase-in period for these cars, as they represented a substantial inverstment on the part of the base, and the RTA didn't want to inconvenience the wheelchair bound users of these vehicles.

But it was a BIG change to the system, and certainly one I welcomed.  It is a lot nicer not only being a passenger in a newish vehicle, but also DRIVING the things.