Vehicles-for-hire updates approved

PDF: City Code Chapter 35, pedicabs, etc.

The Chattanooga City Council on Tuesday night approved changes to the city’s transportation ordinance, including the creation of a board to regulate more types of vehicles for hire.

The measure, which passed on second and final reading, also institutes mandatory drug, vision and hearing tests for drivers to complement the existing general requirement for medical exams. Among other changes, the modified ordinance raises the cap on total vehicle permits to 275 and includes modes such as pedicabs, limos and sedans in the regulations, said Ken Fritz, with the city attorney’s office.

Councilman Jack Benson, chairman of the Legal and Legislative Committee, said the new panel will provide a better balance of community members, including consumers and industry representatives. The previous taxi cab and horse carriage board predominantly was comprised of representatives of the industry, he said.

“We are getting a cross section of the community represented on the board,” Mr. Benson said in a recent interview.

The new transportation board will have nine members, with five “at-large” representatives and four people from the vehicles-for-hire industry. Taxi industry representatives will not be able to have more than two spots, and there will be no more than one member from a single taxi company, Mr. Fritz said.

Before those updates, the panel oversaw only taxis and horse carriages. City code stipulated that the board was to have nine members, with three from the tourism industry, four from the taxi industry and two “citizens at-large.” Lately, the board dwindled to about half that size and a majority of members were from the taxi and horse carriage industries.

Councilman Manny Rico, who has served on the taxi board, said he is happy with the changes to city code overall but asserts that industry representatives should not serve on the panel.

“I still say it’s a conflict of interest,” Mr. Rico said.

The mayor will appoint members to the board. The council will confirm them, which is the same process that had been used to fill the taxi and horse carriage board.

The mayor’s office is “actively pursuing people to serve on this board,” said Richard Beeland, spokesman to Mayor Ron Littlefield.

Meanwhile, Mr. Benson said the mandatory drug testing will improve public safety.

“When people use our cabs, they can have a great deal more assurance that we are screening our drivers in order to provide for their safety,” Mr. Benson said.

Leonard Jackson, owner of Jackson Cab, said while he supports the mandatory drug testing, those costs could be burdensome for his business.

“The city should foot half of the bill,” Mr. Jackson said.

Mr. Benson said the vehicles-for-hire ordinance may need future modifications.

“I’m not fully satisfied with it at this point, but I am satisfied that we need to go ahead and enact this ordinance,” Mr. Benson said. “Let’s see if we have to make any amendments.”