Evening star., 1931-12-10
UTILITIES BOARD
STARTS CAB CHECK
FOR 1882 PERMITS
Hacks Must Conform to New
Mechanical and Sanitary
Regulations.
ENFORCEMENT OF METER
PROVISION is DELAYED
Civic Federation to Fight New
Rate in Court Cases-Com-
mittee Is Appointed.

A check-up on the mechanical equip
ment and sanitary condition of taxi
cabs has been undertaken by the Pub
lie Utilities Commission, preliminary to
the issuance Of 1882 hackers permit.
Operators Of cabs that do not meet the
new rules and regulations governing the
operation Of public vehicles, it was said,
will be denied 1892 permit.
The examinations are being con-
Quoted by the inspection staff of the
Utilities Commission under the direc-
tion of Ira L. Reynolds, acting chief
engineer. Already a number of cabs
have been ispected and approved, and
others have been rejected pending i'm
provements in mechanical condition
and equipment to bring them into COM
pliance with the new regulations.
VIII Withhold Permits.
Although the new regulations do not
become effective until January 10, the
commission, 1t was pointed out, will
not approve the issuance Of a 1892
permit to driver whose cab does
not meet the requirements in the order
promulgated November 6. AS result,
taxi owners, it was said, are making
a serious effort to conform to the new
rules.
The only rule which the commits
sion will be unable to enforce before
January 10, prescribes the installation
OF meters. Permits for the new year
viii not be withheld from owners of
cabs who do not install meters prior
to January /, although the commits
sion proposes to enforce all of the
other rules by holding up the license
until compliance is satisfactory.
Although taxi owners have charged
that the new regulations win force a
number OF cabs of the street. the COM
mission does not believe there will be
an appreciable reduction. Cab opera
tors who know their vehicles viii not
stand the rigid inspection under the
new rules, 1t was said, already have
purchased new cabs or else have placed
orders for delivery before January l.
Some Of the taxi owners also have
charged that the regulation requiring
the installation of meters also would
compel them to go out of business be-
cause OF the cost of the meter. The
commission, however. takes the posi-
tion that the meters will not be an
expensive item since they can be pur-
chased second hand at low price or
else on the installment plan.
Sanitary Provisions.
The new rules and regulations, it
was pointed out, are designed In the
interest Of increased safety and SANTA
tion to the public. They provide that
no cab shall be equipped with shades
or curtains which will shield the oc-
cupants or the driver from observa-
ton, that every cab shall be equipped
with at least two doors for the entrance
and ay}f If y1ae ~uyy%S L..
readily opened In case OF emergency;
that every cab shall bear on the pas
senger side OF the door in painted let
ters 3 inches high the name Of the
company operating the cab or the word
'taxicab". that every cab shall be kept
In clean and sanitary condition and
shall be swept and busted once a day,
and that at least once week the in
terror woodwork, glass and floor shall
be cleansed thoroughly with an antisep-
tic solution.
Drivers, under the new regulations
also will be required to be clean In
dress and in person and to wear coat
or duster at all times while operating
cab. Operation of cabs equipped with
radio while the set is turned on also is
strictly forbidden.
Four Named to Committee.
The Public Utilities Committee of the
Federation Of Citizens Associations to-
day nominated four Of its members to
appear as friends Of the court" in the
various taxicab suits seeking to restrain
the Utilities Commission from enforc-
ing its order compelling the installation
of meters in cabs.
The action was taken under authority
OF resolution adopted by the fedora
ton at its December meeting Saturday
night
The four chosen will seek to persuade
the court to grant the iniunctions on
the ground the fiat or zone rates are in
the public interest and meters are
against it. They are George E. Sullivan,
Henry I. Quinn, Clayton e. Emig and
Allan Fisher.