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Commission Discusses Safety
of Taxicabs, Drivers and Passengers

Taxi safety was the main topic at the Taxi Commission’s Dec. 12 meeting. A provision of the Police Code first proposed by United Taxicab Workers requires the commission to hold a hearing on safety at least once each year.
The hearing encompassed vehicle and road safety as well as crime prevention and detection. A number of suggestions were aired on how to make drivers, passengers and taxis safer.

On the subject of vehicle safety, the commission discussed a number of issues United Taxicab Workers has raised. They include the road testing of taxis during the annual airport inspection; inspecting vehicles for structural damage; and random inspections in addition to the required annual check.

UTW has also proposed that the annual inspection include a test of the air inside the cab for exhaust emissions. UTW has received a number of complaints from drivers who have been sickened by exhaust gases.

The commission also discussed prohibiting the use of salvage vehicles as taxis.
On the issue of crime prevention, the commission discussed problems with security cameras, which are required in every cab. In certain instances, the cameras have not worked during robberies.

UTW proposed the installation of a panic button for emergency purposes in all cabs. The emergency button could be made part of Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment that will be installed in all cabs later this year for the purpose of processing paratransit debit cards. UTW believes privacy protections for drivers must also be incorporated in GPS rules and software.

The commission committed to holding a follow-up hearing on the issue of safety in the near future.