Evening star., 1942-03-07
Taxi Pickup
P| Continued
In Rush Hours
Drivers in Regular
Service Warned on
Overchorge Practice

continuation OF the taXlcab pick
up service until further notice was
authorized late yesterday by the
Public Utilities Commission, but
while approving such an order the
agency prepared to crack down on
cab drivers in regular service if
they overcharge when carrying
more than one passenger.
Commission Chairman Gregory
Hankin recalled hat numerous
complaints had been received that
drivers not in the pickup service
but carrying more than one pas
senger were violating P. U. C. or
ders by insisting on picking up
additional passengers or by over
charging
Under new order of the CON-
mission on this issue, all cab drivers
were placed on notice the agency
was prepared to recommend revoca-
ton of the hackers permit or TO
ask the corporation counsel TO
prosecute the driver in Police Court,
where fine up to 5000 for each
offense is possible.
Witnesses Favor Plan
The emergency rush hour, 90
cent-per- passenger, taxi cab pickup
service, applying to only taxi zones
l and 2, was begun January for a
month of trial. Last Thursday a
public hearing was held on the
results and most taxi witnesses de-
nlaTnI tho
success in the morning rush hours,
but was not working we'll" in the
evening rush hours.
At the hearing. a side issue de-
veloped over the practice of drivers,
not in the pickup service, allegedly
overcharging customers when carry
ing more than one passenger on
single trip. At the time Mr..
Hankin declared the commission
would do something about it.
The commissions new order on
this point made clear that while it
was legal for driver in regular
service % take on more than one
passenger or a t1p. this could not
be done without the consent OF the
first passenger After giving some
examples Of violations. the commits
sion said it appeared these we're
justified by some unscrupulous
drivers" on the theory that the rate
orders do not specifically provide for
a division of rates among passengers.
Driver Procedure Outlined.
The commission continued, There
is no reason for the pretended diff
Guilty. IN view of Abe fact that the
commissions rate orders specifically
set forth the zone rates, the rates
for additional passengers, for bag
gage and for stops. At any rate 10
does not behoOFe a taxi driver to
digreSs from the usual course of
carrying his passenger, or group of
passengers, 10 his or their destina-
ton by taking on any additional
passengers, and then claim he is at
loss to know how much to collect
from each passenger"
The new order specifies that hav-
ing obtained the consent Of the
first passenger tin eervice other than
the taxi cab pickup PLAN the driver
may take on additional passengers
under three stipulations:
That the total charge to all
passengers shall not exceed the pre-
vailing zone rate for the entire trip,
including the l0-cent extra charge
for extra. stops, the l0-cent extra
charge for passengers in excess OF
two. and the charges for baggage.
2-That the total charges shall
be divided equally among the sew
eral passengers. except that no one
shall be required to pay more than
the prevailing regular rate for his
own ride, regardless of the length
of the total trip for the group.
Other Fares Contribute.
3.-That no passenger shall be re-
quired to pay more than the differ
ence between the prevailing zone
rate for the entire trip and the
amount or amounts already collected
from other passengers for such a
trip. This last means that if three
passengers we're taken on at Union
Station and the driver collected
30 cents from each of the first
two discharged and the total bill
amounted to but 10 cents. the driver
legally could charge the last rider
out 10 cents.
The theory under paragraph 2,
above, is that if there were two or
more passengers. the total bill would
be divided equally, except that no
one should be required to pay more
than what his single fare would be
under the regular zone rates. This
covers the case where one of the
group might have but short ride
whereas one or more Of the others
might 60 to a distant point where
the regular fare would be much