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State Rules Ensure Cabs Are Safe And Fully Insured
 Have you ever wondered whether that taxi you’re about to hire is fully insured, or if the driver is licensed?
- Weights and Measures helps to enforce a State law governing taxis, limousines and livery vehicles in Arizona. They must meet the following requirements:
- Drivers must have a valid Arizona license, and the vehicle must be properly registered.
- All vehicles must be covered by an insurance policy of $300,000 or more, depending on passenger capacity. The policy must cover personal liability, property damage, coverage against uninsured motorists and under-insured motorists.
- Taxis must carry a sealed taximeter, and must post their rates in one-inch letters.
- Livery vehicles, which are allowed to transport passengers for a flat rate, must post their rates with one-inch letters at least until the passenger has agreed on the fare.
- Limousines cannot solicit fares. They must be hired in advance.
- All taxis and Livery vehicles must display an official Weights and Measure sticker in the lower right-hand corner of their rear windshield. Limousines have the option of displaying the sticker, but it is not mandatory.
- Taxis must have a valid taxi license plate. Many, if not most, have licenses that include the letter “Z” in the plate number, though some may have blue-and-white environmental plates, commercial plates, so-called “vanity” plates or handicapped plates. Limousines and Livery vehicles may display commercial or taxi plates.
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Weights and Measures requires all taxi, limousine or livery operators to prove that they met these requirements before they are issued a Department sticker that designates them as legally for hire.
Reputable taxi, limousine and livery companies work hard to stay in compliance, despite complaints about the high cost of commercial taxi insurance. Some operators pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in insurance premiums.
However, some operators try to evade these rules. Some companies cancel their insurance policies after they have registered, or they have it canceled for lack of payment. Some independent contractors start off as legal, but then abandon their operating agreement with a sponsoring company and operate illegally, without insurance.
If an unlicensed cab is involved in an accident, passengers who are injured may find themselves liable for their own medial bills, with no way to recovery lost wages or compensation for pain and suffering.
If any of these are missing or appear to be questionable, the vehicle may be operating illegally. If you see an illegal taxi, limousine or livery vehicle, contact the Department at 602-771-4920 or 1-800-277-6675 or file a complaint online in English or Spanish
Since these taxis are operating outside of the law, accurate figures on accidents, overcharges and other problems are unavailable, but accidents involving unlicensed or uninsured cabs are all too frequent.
Many Arizonans will recall the fate of Phoenix Police Officer Jason Schechterle, who was badly disfigured on March 26, 2001, when his police cruiser was struck by an uninsured cab driver and burst into flames.
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RIDER BEWARE
When you need a cab, there are certain things you can look for to make sure a taxi or livery vehicle is registered with Weights and Measures and has submitted proof of insurance.
· Look for the Weights and Measures Sticker, which should be located in the right-hand rear window of the vehicle.
· Look for the posted rates, which must be inside and outside of the vehicle in letters that are at least one inch high.
· Check the license plate. Most taxi vehicles have a license plate containing the letter “Z,” though certain other plates may also be legally allowed.
· If you’re a hiring a taxi, check the meter. Look for a wire seal that is designed to prevent tampering. If you’re hiring a livery vehicle, look for the posted rates, which must be based on either a geographic zone or on a flat rate.
If any of these are missing or appear to be questionable, the vehicle may be operating illegally. If you see an illegal taxi, limousine or livery vehicle, contact the Department at 602-771-4920 or 1-800-277-6675 or file a complaint online in English or Spanish
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Inspectors for the Weights and Measures Department conduct periodic inspections, often in conjunction with local police departments, to make sure that taxis are staying in compliance.
The Department also follows up on complaints from consumers. More than 70 such complaints were made to the Department over the past fiscal year.
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During FY2005-06, the Department conducted 387 inspections of taxis and limousines, and revoked their license for 266 vehicles for a variety of reasons. A lack of valid insurance led to 82 revocations, and there were 21 cases where the driver lacked a valid license. There were 54 cases where the taxi failed to have the rates posted properly, and 76 revocations were triggered by problems with taximeters.
The Department also works with the Arizona Department of Transportation to make sure a driver is registered and the vehicle is insured. The department checks a Motor Vehicle Department database to ensure that valid insurance policy has been issued. When a vehicle is inspected, a Weights and Measures Investigator will access that database to make sure the vehicle is insured.
When a vehicle fails an inspection, Weights and Measures Investigators contact the Transportation Department to secure approval to seize the vehicle’s license plates. The Investors are also empowered to confiscate the vehicles taximeter, Weights and measures Sticker, and certain advertising devices, such as the “top hat” placed on the roof of taxis to solicit fares.
In addition, the Department issued $29,600 in civil penalties during a single 12-month period for violations of its taxi, limousine and livery rules.
There are about 1,985 valid taxis, limousine or livery vehicles operating on Arizona streets, according to records maintained by the Department of Weights and Measures. They have met all state requirements and are authorized to display an official Weights and Measures sticker in the rear window.
Taxis are legally available for hire on city streets, while limousines must be hired in advance. Livery vehicles, such as shuttle vans, base their fares on zones or on a pre-arranged fare structure.
Be sure the cab is legal: Look for this sticker in the right rear window of a taxi or livery vehicle.
Unfortunately, there are many vehicles illegally operating as cabs on Arizona’s streets. No one knows how many may be in operation. If you hire an illegal cab, you may be putting your life or the lives of your loved ones in the hands of an unlicensed and uninsured driver, and the fare you will be charged may not be accurate.
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