Evening star., 1933-01-23
COMMITTEE ASKS
POWERS TO CHECK
EVILS" Of TAX|CAb
Increase in Deaths, Injuries
and Property Damage
Cited in Report.
SEEK AUTHORITY TO END
CHAOTIC CONDITIONS
Ban on Rental System Evaded by
Companies, Citizens
Group Charges.

The charge the public safety and
welfare are threatened by the chaotic
condition of public transportation in
the District was made by the Citizens
Joint Transportation Committee In a
statement submitted today to the Dis
trict Subcommittee of the House Ap-
preparations Committee, proposing
solution to Washington's complex taxi
cab situation.
The committee, which is composed
of representatives of leading trade and
civic organizations of the Capital, in
laying bare the many "evils" of taxicab
transportation, requested that Congress
give local authorities sufficient power to
adequately deal with the problem.
The civic group, according to Thomas
P. Littlepage, president of the WASH
ington Chamber of Commerce, and
chairman of the committee, has studied
the problem from the standpoint of Cd
the increase in deaths, injuries and
property damage in automobile acci-
dents; ca financial responsibility Of
taxicab owners; 90 relationship to the
unemployment situation, and 90 serv-
ice to the public.
Record One of Worst.
Citing figures of the National Safety
showed that Washington Is rated among
the four worst cities in the country
of more than 250.0O0 population. with
Its automobile fatality rate on the basis
of statistics for the first IL months Of
last year.
In the II months of 1882" the state
ment said, there were lis motor fatali-
ties in Washington, as compared with
70 for the corresponding months OF
1881. In other words, 43 more lives
were lost, an increase of go per cent.
For 1882 Washington's fatality rate
amounted to 254 per 100000 popula-
ton, whereas 81 cities with popula-
ton of over 250,000 showed an average
rate of little less than II per 0000."
While accidents involving all other
vehicles have shown some decrease each
year since 1890, the committee said.
in 1880 to 1.750 in 1881 and 2,024 il
1882, not including December. The ratio
OF taxicab accidents to all other sacci-
dents, the committee asserted, was 1876
per cent in 1880, 20.1 per cent in 1881
and 27.4 per cent in 1882.
Outlines Four Reasons.
The transportation group outlined
four reasons for the growing menace
of the taxicab to life, limb and prop
erty." They are:
Il. To make any net earnings at all
most of the drivers regularly exceed
speed limits, drive on the left side of
the street TO pass other traffic, disregard
signs, signals and right of way rules
and violate many other essential traffic
regulations
"2. Despite the orders of the Public
Utilities Commission prohibiting it, the
system of renting cabs to the drivers is
well known to be the most generally
prevailing arrangement. Various sub
terfuges have been adopted by the rent
Ing companies to evade the commits
sions orders
''3. To exc out a living drivers fire.
quently work IL, IA and 16 hours with
out rest and as a result many Of them
are constantly operating on Washington
streets in state Of fatigue bound to
result in accidents.
a. The cutthroat competition and
utterly inadequate earnings have re-
suited in maintenance work on taxicabs
frequently being reduced to an unsafe
limit. The hack inspection service of
the District is exercising the greatest
efforts to control this, but it is a physi-
cal impossibility for any such inspection
to take the place of systematic main
tenance work by the owners Of the
taxicabs."
Responsibility Law Urged.
Declaring the public is unprotected
and the large financial losses due to
taxicab accidents are often borne by
the victims, the committee urged the
necessity for property financial re-
sponsibility law, to be put into effect
by the Public Utilities Commission.
The theory that WaShington's method
of taXicab operation is beneficial to
employment was secuted by the COM
mittee.
In the first place" the committees
spokesman said, IF the Public Utilities
Commission were allowed the necessary
powers to put into effect and enforce
reasonable working hours and regula-
tionS which would enable drivers gen.
orally to earn even a minimum living
wage, it would be entirely possible to
give employment to even larger num-
Der of men than at present but with
much reduced hours. There is oppor-
tunity here to apply the spread the
work principle.
I'm the second place, if all cabs were
kept reasonably clean and in proper
mechanical condition, this of itself
would give employment to a consider
able amount of additional labor. FL
nally, it must be borne in mind that
rendering taxicab service below cost
Is diverting substantial amount Of
traffic from the street railways and
buses, thus reducing the employment
available to street railway and bus en-
ployes. These men are generally
established residents of Washington,
whereas large percentage of taxicab
drivers are recent arrivals.
Rapid Turnover Shown.
Furthermore, even the unemployed
man who takes a job as taxi driver
all too often fails to benefit from the
present situation. Many, after making
some down payment for their cabs, find
1t impossible to keep up payments and
lose everything they had The rapid
turnover in taxicab drivers is shown
by the fact that, with something over
5000 taxicabs operating in Washington,
more than 1000 taxicab drivers have
been licensed since the first of last
July"
There also is growing dissatisfaction
on the part of out-of-town visitors
with the treatment received at the
hands of taxicab drivers, who because
of their unfamiliarity with the zones,
are frequently charging exorbitant
fares, the committee stated. The group
emphasized it did not advocate a re-
turn to the high rates which formerly
prevailed here.
Voicing its belief that the Public
Utilities Commission might, with prop
er regulatory power, put an end to
the present distressing and demoraliz-
ing condition" the committee urged
enactment of necessary legislation to
place responsibility for the taxicab
situation in the Public Utilities Com
mission.
The committees stand in urging in
creased power for the Public Utilities
Commission to deal with taxicabs was