The City of Mountain View, California may be deregulating its taxi service. According to an article in the Mountain View Voice, right now there are two taxi companies in the Northern California City, and the city council believes allowing other companies to compete in this Northern California city would increase competition and drive down the cost of cab fares for its citizens. Makes sense.
The City Council is also doing the sensible thing by insisting that all new taxi drivers undergo background checks. This has been a current policy and it will continue with an new cab companies that want to operate in Mountain View. However, while local police conduct background checks on the drivers, as well as issue the driver permits. Drivers would also have to show proof of testing negative for a drug test.
However, the Council may relieve its over taxed police force of the duties of collecting fees and issuing taxi permits. the Finance Department would take over that responsibility. The police would still conduct background checks.
In all, it is always good to see a city on top of its issues. On one hand it may well help the economy by stimulating competition and giving its populace a break in taxi fares. On the other, Mountain View is wise enough to conduct background checks on its taxi drivers and, presumably, other city workers, so to avoid some of the bad press inflicted on other municipalities in recent times. These are the public services that had avoided background checks or failed to review them, until a convicted felon made the news in some terrible, but demonstrative capacity.
Check them out before you hire.
