Evening star., 1942-05-02
Another HEARING
On Cab Pickup
Service Sought
Diamond Contends 1t
Cont Join Plan and
Fulfill Contracts

The Public Utilities Commission
had under consideration today a re-
quest that another hearing be held
on Washington taxicab pickup
service to give the taxi-riding public
an opportunity TO tell whether it is
satisfied with this type of service.
The request was filed late yester-
day by the Independent Taxi Own
ers' Association, operator of the
Diamond cab fleet, in a petition
listing a score Of reasons why the
Diamond company should not be re-
quired to participate in the rush.
hour pickup service.
Taxicab firms which have not
been participating in the emergency
service, inaugurated some weeks ago,
had been given until last midnight
to show cause why they should not
do so. Several companies which
failed to respond to the commits
sion's show-cause order must auto
matically join the pickup service
today.
The Blue Light and Bison COM
panies joined in the request for an
other public hearing, and the Utili-
ties Commission said that these two
and the Diamond company would
be permitted to remain out of the
service until further notice.
Obligations Cited.
In its petition, Diamond said that,
if its drivers are required to offer
pickup service, they would not be
able to render adequate service at
Union Station and other places
where the company has contractural
obligations. In addition to its con-
cessions, Diamond operates num-
ber of charge account services, which
the petition contended are of an
emergency character.
One of these is at Sibley Hospital,
which could involve emergency
transportation of doctors and nurses,
the petition said. Another is main
tanned for the British Air Commits
sion and the Canadian and Austria
han Legations, which frequently call
cabs for trips of such urgent and
confidential nature that it would
impede the war effort if the pickup
service impeded these missions" the
petition said.
The company said further that
the Pennsylvania Railroad uses
Diamond cabs to transfer crews
from the terminal to their yards
and the Capital Transit Co. uses
them to expedite their service dur
ing storms and traffic tie-ups.
The petition said Diamond has
posted a $4,000 faithful perform
ance bond" with the Washington
Terminal Co. to provide cabs at all
times at Union Station, and declared
this concession to be so important to
its business that for this reason if
for no other, these respondents
should not be required to participate
In the pickup service"
Public Called Cool to Plan.
Charging that the taxi-riding
public is none too satisfied"
with the service, the petition de-
clared that the chances of pick
pocket activities and the making of
improper advances toward women
are increased when strangers are
put together in the same cab.
The petition also pointed out that
no cab service could be given to
patrons in zones and during
the rush hours if all cabs were re-
quired to participate in the pickup
service.
Under the present arrangement,
only the first and second zones are
involved in the emergency service.
Pickup cabs are required. during
the rush hours, to accommodate
one to five passengers bound in the
same general direction. The charge
is 20 cents per person for rides
frcs1 Zone 2 to Zone l in the
morning, from Zone l to Zone 2 in
the afternoon and between any
two points confined to Zone / at
either rush hour period.