Evening star., 1952-08-22
Operator Group
ToAsk Cut in
Taxiicab Fares
Hope to Win Riders
From Capital Transit
After Rate Increase

After Kate Increase
A group OF taxicab operator
said today it would seek cutbacl
to pre-1951 fare levels including
the s20-cent group riding charge
per person in the downtown zone
The announcement followed the
fare boost won by the Capita
Transit Co. from the Public Utili.
ties Commission yesterday.
The proposed cab fare reduction
would put this transportation
within three cents, in the down
town zone, of the new 17-cent
cash fare to become effective Au-
gust 81 on street cars and buses.
George L. Hilton, president OF
the Associated Taxicab Operators
Inc, said he intended to file pc
tition with the PUG asking that
cab fares be cut back 10 cents to
the pre-1951 level.
Would Encourage Competition.
Mr.. Hilton said this would en-
courage direct competition with
the transit company.
The new transit fares are II
cents cash, five tokens for rs cents
and weekly passes at $40.
The reduction in cab rates rec
commended by Mr.. Hilton would
drop cab rates 10 cents in each
zone to the old level of 80, so, 70
and 80 cents.
His proposal, however, is in for
stiff opposition from many taxi
cab drivers. A rival organization,
Cab Drivers Association, Inc, i'm
mediately announced it would
fight the move to cut rates.
John S. Hilbert. secretary and
business agent of the Cab Drivers
Association, said cutting rates
would not solve the problems of
the cab drivers in Washington.
He declared:
TITS the wrong thing to do to
ask for a reduction in fares after
it took so long to get them up."
F0resees Fight in Industry.
Mr.. Hilbert predicted the pro-
posal made by the Hilton group
would cause a big fight in the cab
industry and lead to a lot of con-
fusion among the drivers. He said
If hackers wanted the reduction in
fares, his organization would go
along. But he added he knew the
drivers did not want to cut fares.
Mr.. Hilbert said his association
already has a petition before the
PUG for certain changes in the
cab regulations which would help
the cab industry here.
Mr.. Hilton's group claims to
represent some 600 drivers. Mr..
Hilbert said the Cab Drivers AS
sociation has more than 300 mem
berS.
Basically, the proposed changes
asked would limit drivers to 10I
hours a day rather than the pres
ent IL hours. They also would re-
quire men getting hackers licenses
to work at least eight hours a day
for five days a week.
Hits Part-T Time Drivers.
This last suggestion is aimed
directly at the part-time drivers
who are blamed by regular cabbies
for slow business. The part-time
hackers, they maintain, drive only
during the busy times of the day
and take profits from the regular
men who hack full time.
MIR. Hilbert said the cab busi-
ness is suffering simply because
there are too many cabs on the
street and too many part-time
hackers. He pointed out that
about 5000 cabs are licensed in
the District.
Meanwhile. reaction to the
higher bus and streetcar fares
granted by the PUG was slow.
Many civic leaders questioned
about it more or less shrugged
their shoulders and said it was
expected. The feeling apparently
among many residents was that
'he raise was inevitable.
One group, the Transit Riders
Protective Committee, immediate
y denounced the PUG for it's &C
ion. In statement released to-
lay, the committee declared:
"The PUG has once again failed
20 show that it realizes there is
only one cure for the transit mess
n the Washington Metropolitan
Area-to wit. lower fares, better
service and the Turing back of
thousands Of former customers of
The public utility who now use
private automobiles.
THE effect Of the new increases
will be to chase away Is to 30 per
;ent Of the remaining customers
of the company" the committee
said. THUS, Capital Transit, in
stead OF operating a mass trans
oortation service, becomes more
and more of a select and luxury
means of transportation"