Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-31
TAX|CABS FORCED
I. TO INSURE FARES
BY REVISED CODE
Public Utilities Commission
Order Will Go Into Effect
February |.
CHANGES MADE SINCE
HEARING DECEMBER is
No Effort Now Made to Regulate
Cars Which Hire by Hour
for Special Trips.

new code placing taxicabs in all
respects under the Jurisdiction of the
Public Utilities Commission will 90 into
effect February /, 1880. The code is
somewhat different from that proposed
at public hearing held December 16,
but the principal feature, that referring
to compulsory insurance for all cabs,
remains unchanged. This much-diS-
cusSed provision reads as follows
mo person, firm or corporation shall
operate any motor vehicle, as herein
Defined (taxicab), unless and until the
person, firm or corporation shall
"U) File with the commission a
sworn statement showing the ability of
the person, firm or corporation to pay
all damages which may result from any
ana all accidents due to the negligent
use or operation of such vehicle; or
CD File with the commission Sc
curity, indemnity or a bond guaran-
teeing the payment by the person, firm
or corporation of all such damages; or
"(3) Insure to reasonable amount
the persons, firms or corporations
liability to pay such damages; and I'M
less the person, firm or corporation
shall
90 File with the commission, as
often as the commission shall in writ
ing demand, in form prescribed by the
commission, evidence of the persons,
firms or corporations compliance with
the provisions Of this section
Truck Reference Omitted.
The principal difference between the
order as it now stands and that as
proposed at the public hearing Is that
all reference to trucks has been omitted,
and the code applies only to taxicabs.
Furthermore, the code applies only to
metered cabs, the commission making
no effort to regulate those cars which
stand for hire by the hour or by the
trip to well known spots, such as Mount
Vernon and Arlington
The commission modified one of the
sections of the order which would have
compelled the cabs to draw up to the
curb in all cases to take on and dis
charge passengers to read wherever
possible" thus allowing the cabs to park
double while taking on or letting off its
passengers, privilege now accorded to
trucks loading or unloading merchan-
disc.
Another modification was that to the
original requirement that the gas tank
OF every cab should be entirely on the
outside of the body" of the.-m motor
vehicle. This was done by defining
body" as that part above the chassis
and behind the cowl," so as to sanction
tanks located in front of the drivers
seat underneath the cowl.
FueIing Prohibition Removed.
One section, which prohibited the
Milling OF the gas tank while passengers
were in the cab, was stricken out alto
gether.
The regulations provide that no cab
shall operate in the District without its
owner first securing permission from
the Public Utilities Commission; that
the owners shall file schedules of rates
charged, and shall not depart from the
schedules; that reports of all accidents
in which the cabs are involved shall be
made in writing to the commission: and
that regular reports as to the concerns
operating income and expenses, as well
as capital outlay, shall be made in writ
ing to the commission. The order re-
quiring permits from the commission
for the operation of cabs does not apply
to those cabs already plying the streets
when the order takes effect, but only
those put in operation after.