On the materna taxi problem: isn't the answer to have more births at home? In towns, when you can get to hospital quickly (?!!!) in an emergency, and with full antenatal screening, surely it must be more economical (if not less legally risky) to send midwives to mothers rather than mothers to hospitals. In the country, I can understand the need to get to hospital to eliminate home risks. I had a farm truck as my maternataxi for one of my children as the ambulance couldn't get to me in a blizzard.