Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-01
TRAFFIC BUREAU
TO ACT AGAINST
TAXICAB FIRMS
Contempiates Steps to Force
Vehicles to Operate From
Central Point.
ACTION is DIRECTED
AT LIVERY TAG CABS
Brown Contends Code Prohibits
Them From Picking Up
Fares on Streets.

Stirred by repeated complaints ovel
alleged annoyances caused by taxicab'
parking in the vicinity of telephone
call boxes in various sections of the
District, Inspector E. w. Brown, in
charge of the Traffic Bureau, revealed
today that drastic steps are contem.
plated to force these vehicles to operate
from a central garage.
Action is planned particularly against
cabs carrying Il" or livery tags. In
spector Brown contends that under the
District license code these vehicles are
prohibited from picking up fares on
the streets or responding to calls from
any point other than an authorized
garage of the owner. Many of the Il .
tag cabs, however, he said, are stationed
in proximity to telephone call boxes,
are dispatched on calls from these
places and pick up fares on the street.
Brown Explains Provisions.
Cabs carrying "H," or hackers tags,
Inspector Brown explained, are the only
public vehicles permitted to pick UP
fares The hackers, however, are re-
0uired to remain on designated hack
stands until called.
81" tags are issued for livery" We
hicles, according to Inspector Brown,
but taxicabs are using them primarily
because the license is not so expensive
as for II" tags A taxicab owner. he
said, can procure a license to operate
IS IL" tagged vehicles for SIS, and
50 for each additional vehicle whereas
the operator of an H tag must pay
q license fee of SO for each vehicle.
Inspector Browns. first move to force
the IL" tag vehicles to abandon the
present practice of operating call boxes
was the arrest of the drivers of cabs of
two different companies on charges Of
picking up fares on the street and fall
ing to operate from an authorized
livery" garage. With these two cases
he plans TO test the regulations regard
ing the use Of 81" tags. The cases have
been set for hearing in Police Court
April %.
New Companies Chief Offenders.
The chief offenders of the 81" tag
regulations, Inspector Brown declared.
are the new companies giving a fiat
rate, 35-cent service. Violations also
have been observed he said, among the
vehicles of the companies using meter
cabs, which have concessions at hotels.
The common practice of the vehicles
using IL" tags, according to Inspector
Brown, is to have a private telephone
located in various sections where the
cabs park awaiting a call. The con-
gregation of the drivers at these points,
he said, has led to a number of COM
plants by residents In the neighbor-
hood.
AS an example, Inspector Brown cited
q petition received from occupants in
the vicinity of First street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue, which urged the Traffic
Bureau to take steps to have the tele-
phone call box In that vicinity removed.
The petition pointed out that the taxi
cabs are parked continuously in front
of the business property near the call
box, allowing no access whatever for
loading or unloading merchandise. The
bell on the call box, it said, rings at all
hours of the night, annoying the occu-
pants of the buildings, while the drivers
who loiter there "use unproletary Ian
guage"
Inspector Brown said these call boxes
are located at places where the au-
thorities would not consider establish
ing hack stand, but there Is no way
to control their installation since they
are located on private property. A
favorable decision in the test cases in
Police Court, he pointed out, will pave
the way for the Traffic Bureau and
the Police Department to take steps
to break up the practice.