[mdesq]

> The new companies, unlike taxi operators, have lesser insurance requirements, no restrictions on the number of vehicles they put on the streets, no clean-air standards and less-stringent background checks.

There are clean air standards for taxis? I'm not sure how well they work, since about half of the taxis I have taken recently (worldwide) have had the engine light on, indicating a likely emissions problem. Since taxis drive so much, an emissions issue on a taxi for a month is probably equivalent to a year on many private vehicles.

That said, even private vehicles have clean-air standards in any state (like mine) with emissions inspection requirements.

[rgbrenner]

https://energycenter.org/programs/clean-cab-partnership

http://www.sfenvironment.org/news/press-release/san-francisc...

http://www.sfmayor.org/?page=684

[carl8]

Was just going to site that last one:

2/8/12

"Today 92 percent of the taxi fleet is comprised of hybrid or CNG vehicles. There are 1,318 alternative fuel vehicles out of a total of 1,432 eligible vehicles. CNG vehicles account for 89 of those and the hybrids account for 1,229."

[switch007]

> had the engine light on, indicating a likely emissions problem.

Is that true? I thought the engine light could be for many things and only a few of them emissions related? (true for the European cars I've owned, anyway)

edit: actually, I guess, many of the faults are probably directly, or indirectly, likely to result in an emissions change.