Evening star., 1929-12-16
BOARDS ORDER HIT
BY TAX|CAB OWNERS
Group Protests Utilities Com
mission Decision Requiring
Liability Insurance.

A determined attack on the proposal
of the Public Utilities Commission to
compel all motor vehicles operating for
hire to carry liability insurance or
indemnity or to satisfy the commission
of its financial responsibility, was made
today by the Independent Taxi owners
Association, represented by Alfred D
Smith, at a public hearing before the
commission in the board room of the
District Building
One of the largest gatherings of
public transportation men ever to at
tend a session of the commission was
present, nearly filling the spacious
board room. The public hearing was
called upon proposed l3-page order
by the commission which would regu-
late practically all operating features
of all commercial vehicles.
Sees No Protection TO Public.
Mr.. Smith said that compelling the
automobile driver to carry insurance
was no protection to the public. II
simply protected the driver from hav-
ing to defend suit resulting from per-
Sonal injuries which he caused, Mr.
Smith said.
He said that his association collects
year with which to satisfy judgments
against the individual drivers and now
has a surplus of between $4,000 and
$4,000. No judgment against an inde-
pendent driver remains unsatiSfled, he
said
Agreement With Drivers Cited.
In reply to cross examination by M.
F. Mangan. one of the attorneys pres
ent; Peoples Counsel Ralph B. Fleharty
and Assistant Corporation Counsel Rob-
ert E. Lynch, Mr. Smith said that the
money used for satisfying judgments
was held by trustees who were not COM
pellable by the victims of accidents to
satisfy the judgments. He said, how
ever, that the trustees had contracts
with all the drivers that the judgments
would be satisfied.
He said that there we're 334 members
of the association, owning 526 cabs, and
that in the three years of the asso-
cations existence accidents among its
members had resulted in no fatalities
and only one possible permanent injury.
Mr.. Smith opposed a paragraph OF
the proposed regulation calling for rear
vision mirrors on all taxicabs.
Proposed Limitation Opposed.
Another proposition apparently look
using the city streets Mr. Smith opposed
on the ground that the association had
| been compelled to turn down $1,000 calls
last year because they had not taxis
enough to serve them. He suggested
instead of such a regulation more hack
| stands be allowed At present there
are hack stands for but 500 cabs, he
| said
! He doubted if the commission could
| enforce a regulation insisting that
| gasoline should be put in taxicab tanks
only when no passengers are aboard.
| Mr.. Smith pointed out that trucks
| carrying merchandise are now permitted
| to park abreast long enough to let the
! driver deliver his goods, but that under
| the proposed regulation taxiS would be
| compelled to pull up to the curb. He
said this was often impossible on oul
congested streets.
Discusses Compulsory Insurance.
On the subject of compulsory insur.
| ance, he quoted letter from the United
States Chamber of Commerce opposing
the principle of public insurance, al
though the local Chamber of Commerce
is in favor of it.
At the start of the meeting, Can't
Walter H. Dunlap, engineer of the com
mission, took the stand as witness an(
testified that 81 out of 95 cities O.
10000 inhabitants or more require tax
owners to procure certificates of con.
venience and necessity before the cab.
are allowed to operate. Seventy OUT O.
the 95 cities require liability insuranc,
for taxicabs, Capt. Dunlap said. Durins
this year, there were approximately
9O866 motor vehicles registered il
washington of which 1927 were taxi.
cabs, Capt. Dunlap testified.