Van De Kamp, 020983 CAAGO, AGO 82-1102

• Case Date: February 09, 1983
• Court: California

JOHN K. VAN DE KAMP Attorney General RODNEY O. LILYQUIST Deputy Attorney General AGO 82-1102 No. 82-1102 California Attorney General Opinion Office of the Attorney General State of California February 9, 1983          THE HONORABLE JACK MILLER, INTERIM DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES, has requested an opinion on the following question:          May a taxicab company comply with the provisions of Vehicle Code section 16500 by making a single deposit of $35,000 with the Department of Motor Vehicles, regardless of the number of taxicabs owned by the company?          CONCLUSION          A taxicab company may comply with the provisions of Vehicle Code section 16500 by making a single deposit of $35,000 with the Department of Motor Vehicles, regardless of the number of taxicabs owned by the company.          ANALYSIS          Among the provisions of the Automobile Financial Responsibility Law (Veh. Code, §§ 16000-16560)1 are specific statutory requirements applicable to owners of vehicles used for commercial purposes. The question presented for analysis concerns the provisions of section 16500, which states:

         "Every owner of a vehicle used in the transportation of passengers for hire, including taxicabs, when the operation of the vehicle is not subject to regulation by the Public Utilities Commission, shall maintain, whenever he may be engaged in conducting such operations, ability to respond in damages resulting from the ownership or operation of the vehicle and arising by reason of personal injury to, or death of, any one person, of at least fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000), and, subject to the limit of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for each person injured or killed, of at least thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) for such injury to, or the death of, two or more persons in any one accident, and for damages to property of at least five thousand dollars ($5,000) resulting from any one accident. Ability to respond in damages may be maintained by either:          "(a) Being insured under a motor vehicle liability policy against such liability.

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