Taxi drivers in Alexandria, Va., can now breathe easier as a behavior-regulating proposal failed to pass.
The proposal sought punishment for cabbies who were rude to passengers, and required that drivers be polite not only to customers, but city officials as well.
The behavior regulation was part of a larger reform to Alexandria’s taxi industry, including new payment, and dispatch reforms. The city council voted 6-1 on Oct. 17 in favor of most of the recommended reforms to the city’s taxi industry.
One line in the reform proposing that drivers should follow strict behavior requirements came under fire from several area cabbies. Taxi drivers argued that this aspect of the proposal was in violation of their First Amendment rights. They asserted that government regulation of politeness simply goes too far.
According to the Alexandria Times, the controversial line was removed from the reforms shortly before the city council voted on the entire proposal.
The original proposal required that a cabbie’s license be revoked “if the driver is found to be rude toward the public or city officials.” The city’s existing rule already required taxi drivers to be courteous to passengers. The new proposal was inspired when a resident complained about an argument with a cabbie in April 2009.
The newly passed proposal now states that drivers face civil fines if a complaint is filed against them, rather than suffer a work suspension. Officials acknowledge that disagreements with drivers are common, but stated that they have not seen similar complaints filed since the original complaint.
In a statement to the Alexandria Times, Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille called the behavior regulation an “overkill” in its attempt to police the actions of private employees.
Montgomery County in Maryland is the only other area that similarly regulates driver behavior.
The proposal sought punishment for cabbies who were rude to passengers, and required that drivers be polite not only to customers, but city officials as well.
The behavior regulation was part of a larger reform to Alexandria’s taxi industry, including new payment, and dispatch reforms. The city council voted 6-1 on Oct. 17 in favor of most of the recommended reforms to the city’s taxi industry.
One line in the reform proposing that drivers should follow strict behavior requirements came under fire from several area cabbies. Taxi drivers argued that this aspect of the proposal was in violation of their First Amendment rights. They asserted that government regulation of politeness simply goes too far.
According to the Alexandria Times, the controversial line was removed from the reforms shortly before the city council voted on the entire proposal.
The original proposal required that a cabbie’s license be revoked “if the driver is found to be rude toward the public or city officials.” The city’s existing rule already required taxi drivers to be courteous to passengers. The new proposal was inspired when a resident complained about an argument with a cabbie in April 2009.
The newly passed proposal now states that drivers face civil fines if a complaint is filed against them, rather than suffer a work suspension. Officials acknowledge that disagreements with drivers are common, but stated that they have not seen similar complaints filed since the original complaint.
In a statement to the Alexandria Times, Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille called the behavior regulation an “overkill” in its attempt to police the actions of private employees.
Montgomery County in Maryland is the only other area that similarly regulates driver behavior.
