Owner of Royal Express Taxi Vartan Muradov drives Asad Khan on April 11, 2013 to the Amtrak station, 1240 S. Harrison Road. Muradov said clarifying requirements of “good moral character” for cab driver applicants makes sense to him because it’s important to have drivers on the road who can be trusted.
—Whether coming home from a late night at the bar or from an evening studying at the library, for some students it can be tough to get around East Lansing without taxi and cab services.
East Lansing City Council is discussing an addition to the city code to define what is meant by “good moral character,” a requirement hopeful taxicab drivers must meet before getting behind the wheel.
But some city staffers have concerns the term might lead to discrimination based on an applicants’ criminal record and have requested no vote be taken during next Tuesday’s public hearing at City Hall, 410 Abbot Road.
The city code currently states an applicant must be a “citizen of the U.S., or any noncitizen permitted to work in the U.S. under federal laws, (who is) a resident of the state, of the age of 18 years or more (and) of good moral character.”
It’s up to East Lansing police Chief Juli Liebler whether or not applicants meet the standard.
The proposed addition was made by city staff to inform applicants whether they fit the criteria of good moral character to avoid paying an $80, nonrefundable fee, only to be denied.
Evidence of someone not having good moral character could include any history of assaults, distribution or delivery of controlled substances, or criminal sexual conduct, among others.
But Mayor Pro Tem Nathan Triplett said the East Lansing Human Relations Commission asked council to postpone any vote so “they can consider potential civil rights implications of the ordinance as proposed.”
City workers brought up concerns that the change could lead to misuse of applicants’ criminal history and potential bias.
“It goes without saying public safety is top priority for the city,” Triplett said. “But public safety and protecting the civil rights of applicants are not mutually exclusive.”
Vartan Muradov, owner of Royal Express Taxi, said the ordinance makes sense to him because it’s important to have drivers on the road who can be trusted, especially when it comes to any crime of sexual conduct.
“A lot of girls (when they’re drunk) have fear that … they’re going to be taken advantage of,” he said.
But the problems with taxi drivers might go beyond just their criminal record.
International relations and hospitality business freshman Rebecca Sztuczko said a cab ride turned sour when her driver became so angry about construction she demanded to leave the vehicle.
Because there is no interview process with police before an application and license is approved, Sztuczko said that’s something the city might want to take up.
“You never know what a person’s character is like until you actually meet them,”
she said.
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