Evening star., 1946-09-24
Keneipp Sifts Ideas
OF Taxi Officials on
Traffic Problems

District Traffic Director George
E. Keneipp today began studying a
new crop of suggestions on how to
solve the citys trafilc problems
suggestions which came at meet
ings held yesterday with representa-
tives of the taxicab associations and
professional driving instructor COM
panies.
Representatives of II taxicab as
sociations appeared last night at q
meeting Mr.. Keneipp had called ut
the District Building.
During the discussion Mr.. Ke-
neipp said he was considering
recommending to the Commission
ers establishment of a new license
category "a chauffeur's license
which all drivers of conveyances,
such as buses, taxicabs, trucks and
delivery wagons would be required
to have. SING &s@sss
Stin Tests Suggested.
Test requirements for such q
license, he said, would be sitter
than those. for the average private
motorist, since the presumptiou is
that the commercial driver is on
the streets more than the private
driver.
A strong advocate of this type
of license, the traffic director said,
is DR.. Amos E. Neyhart, driver test
ing consultant of the American
Automobile Association and In
structor at Penn State, who con-
ferred with Mr.. Keneipp here re-
Gently.
At presen the city has only the
one type of drivers license obtained
by all motorists for So and renew
able every three years.
$4,000 d. C. Signs.
THE direction of trafic is a
cooperative affair."" Mr.. Keneipp
said at the meeting. I'VE need sug-
gestions."
Then the suggestions began COM
ing.
Calls for Limit on Cabs.
Jack Roger, representing Com
bined Cab Service, introduced the
old taxi drivers request for limita-
tion of the number of cabs.
Unless limit is placed on cabs,
conditions will be chaotic" he main-
tanned. by next year we will have
$4,000 cabs in Washington-and the
present 5000 are too many"
Mr.. Roger said cab drivers were
much concerned with the possibility
that cruising might be barred in
the city. He said large taxi stands
in the downtown area would do
much to relieve whatever congestion
resulted from cruising.
Jack Dolton. representing the
Amalgamated Insurance Co. which
handles largely taxicab insurance.
jumped to his feet to declare, you
have a lot of foolish trafiic signs
here, Mr.. Director"
Mr.. Wolton said the arrows di-
recting automobiles around street.
car loading platforms caused more
accidents than they prevented
because drivers were constantly
swerving at the last minute to
go one way or the other.
We have more than $1,000 trafYic
signs in the District and we are
surveying them all right now" Mr..
Keneipp put in.
Mr.. Dolton:s proposal that the
Public Library at Eighth and x
streets NV. be removed to provide
through street for northbound
trafic was vetoed.
Edward williams, of the Fedora
ton OF Cab Owners and Drivers,
pointed out what he considered i've
OF the worst intersections in the city
and arovamsnt made suggestions for their I'M
You're hitting our known trouble
spots" Mr.. Keneipp said.
Isiah Pink, of the Bonded Cab As.
ISOLATION, asked that right turns on
red lights be authorized in the Dis
trict but got nat disapproval from
Mr.. Kenelpp.
You've got to look out for the
pedestrians" he declared.
Il agree with you,"' Mr.. Pink said,
If pedestrians had to look out for
themselves half OF them would be
dead"
Present at Meeting.
/ Present at the meeting also were
Inspector Arthur e. Miller of the
police trafic department; Wallace
Braun, deputy director OF trafic: n.
8. Cole. administrative assistant to
Mr.. keneipp: c. w. Reed, chief in
spector OF the department Of motor
vehicle and trafhc; M. o. Eldridge,
assistant trafnc director. and J. II.
Milton, trafiic engineer.
In an afternoon meeting, Mr.. Ken
eipp discussed with the 30 profes-
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