BALTIMORE, Md. — The Maryland Public Service Commission turned down a request Wednesday that would have allowed taxi companies to put security cameras instead of bullet-resistant shields in Baltimore cabs as a form of protection.
Baltimore Taxi Affiliation Services, which has 100 taxis under the Arrow Cab and Baltimore City Taxi names, asked the PSC in December to change a state regulation that requires protective guards in city cabs. Shields became mandatory in the city in 1995.
During an administrative meeting Wednesday, Norma Reyes, a senior executive vice president with Baltimore Taxi, argued that the shields make the smaller, more fuel-efficient cars now being leased to drivers too cramped and uncomfortable, especially during 12-hour shifts. Cameras, she said, provide just as strong a deterrent to crime.
