This 2002 cartoon by Malcolm Evans comments on the way the taxi industry changed after the Transport Services Licensing Act 1989. New Zealanders had by custom and driver insistence taken ‘the first cab on the rank’. In the new deregulated, competitive taxi market, they were free to choose. This cartoon comments on this question of choice, and on the fact that many taxi drivers were new immigrants whose professional qualifications were not recognised in New Zealand. The front taxi is marked ‘NZ Born Kiwi Driver’ while the others have long lists of qualifications.

Cartoon courtesy of Malcolm Evans