Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-15
Plans Shaping Up
For Metered Taxis
I'd Trial Runs
Scheduled Here
For Next Week

A legislative proposal to give
Washington taxicabs a metered
fare system appeared shaping
up for congressional considera-
ton as plans for new rate tests
next week were disclosed.
House District Committee Clerk
William N. Mcleod declared,
however, he has not decided
what recommendation to make
to the committee on the subject
next month.
Amid reports he would recon-
mend that meters be installed in
District cabs, which now operate
under a zone fare system, he re-
iterated previous statements he
has come to no conclusions as to
what proposals his final report
will contain.
New Trial Runs Slated
Mr.. Mcleod is continuing a
study of the taxicab situation
ordered by Committee Chairman
Mcmillan, Democrat of South
Carolina. He described plans for
new trial runs next week,
Operating with drivers, repre-
sentatives of the Hack Inspec-
tors Office and meter manufac-
turing companies. the cabs will
make different tests for compar-
ison with others completed some
time ago.
Mr.. Mcleod said he wants re-
suits Of the new trial runs to
learn whether the costs to riders
will be closer to the current
charges based on zones rather
than previous meter charges.
The meters will be set to
charge IS cents for the first mile,
5 cents for one-fourth of each
additional mile, and 50 an hour
for waiting. This waiting charge
figures out at cents for each
Ia minutes.
Meters manufactured by three
different companies will be used,
as they were on nine different
cabs during the recent trial runs.
Previous Trial Results
Results of the previous trial
runs on meters several days ago
showed that under some rates
the costs to customers were
higher than the fares based on
present taxi zones. On the other
hand, some other rates showed
that the metered charges COM
pared favorably with the present
zone rate charges.
Mr.. Mcleod pointed out that
meters set to charge rates effec-
tive in New York city showed
charges considerably higher than
zone rates here.
They were on the basis of 25I
cents for the first one-fifth of a
mile, five cents for each addi-
tional one-f1fth Of a mile, and
50 an hour waiting time.
Under the New York city
metered rate, he said, the total
charges on Is trips by metered
cabs here ran up to $17.65, nearly
twice the total cost of Is trips
charged on the zone rate. at
$9.40.
Slight Difference
On the other hand, the met
cred charges most comparable toI
the zone system in effect here
were based on IS cents for the
first mile, 5 cents for each addi-
tional one-third mile, and 50 AM
hour for waiting.
The total cost of 16 various
metered trips through different
sections of Washington was
1920 compared with zone
charges of $3.50.
This experience" Mr.. Mcleod
said, "debunks the fears of the
public that the cost of metered
taxi rides would be so far I'M
advance Of the present zone sys-
TEN charge to make use of meters
impossible. because Of so much
higher charges"
Mr.. Mcleod said he was hoping
the new trial run on a slightly
different rate base may give
more information for the use Of
the District Committee.
He emphasized. however, that
even If Congress should authorize
meters instead of the zone sys-
TEN, rates would have to be
ordered by the District Public
Utilities Commission.