Drug tests for cabbies suggested

Friday, May 30, 1997 | 11:44 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Cab drivers would be required to pass drug tests before being hired and then submit to random testing under a bill being sought by some Clark County taxicab companies.

"We want to make sure that the visitors and citizens who get into a cab are transported safely," said Len Nevin, public relations director for Desert Cab and Nellis Cab.

The bill, introduced Wednesday by the Assembly Transportation Committee, would apply statewide but the bulk of the cab drivers -- an estimated 3,500 -- are in the Las Vegas area.

Assembly Bill 545 would require a driver to submit to a drug test to get a job and it would be paid for by the companies, Nevin said. And there would be random testing. A driver that refused to take the test could be fired under the proposed law.

Ruthie Jones, vice president of the ITPE/Maritime Union, which represents about 1,200 drivers in Clark County, called the bill "another form of harassment." She said owners should have a valid reason for testing, rather than just doing it randomly.

Robert Anselmo, administrator of the Taxicab Authority in Clark County, said his agency did not ask for the bill but probably will support it. He noted that the federal law on commercial drivers requires drug testing.

Asked if there was any particular problem now, Anselmo said there have been some accidents where the drivers had been drinking.

Nevin estimated that four cab companies in Las Vegas have policies on drug testing but there are none in Northern Nevada.

"This is not for harassment," said Nevin, a former assemblyman and senator from Sparks. The results of the tests would be confidential and are not admissible in a criminal proceeding against the driver.

The results could be disclosed if the driver gives permission; if they were needed to issue a subpoena; or to resolve a dispute between the company owner and the employee. They could also be revealed if required by a health plan or by medical officials for the diagnosis or treatment of a person.