City Council Beat

Boston cab patrons could soon feel more empowered to report substandard drivers if the City Council passes Councilor Michael Ross's (Back Bay, Fenway) proposal to post a taxicab bill of rights in every Boston cab.

On a sticker placed on the back passenger windows of cabs, riders would be able to read their rights, including the right to be driven by a particular route and the right to be in control of the windows, air conditioning and heating.

"A lot of people don't know these rights or don't feel comfortable saying something," Ross said. "Having a sticker in the window will empower people to say something or to file a report.

"The majority of cab drivers are decent people, but a couple of them may cut corners," he said.

Ross said the Council should also consider the drivers when writing the taxicab bill of rights, for example, by having a right to deny service to inebriated or abusive passengers.

This idea, which has already been implemented in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami, will not be expensive to implement in Boston, Ross said.

A hearing for the proposal has not yet been scheduled, but Ross said it may happen before the end of the year. All proposals on which the Council fails to vote will be thrown out at the end of the year and will have to be resubmitted in 2006.

Also at Wednesday's meeting, Councilor Rob Consalvo (Hyde Park, Roslindale) proposed compiling a registry of gun offenders, similar to the state's existing registry of sex offenders, to counter rising rates of gun violence in the city.

"There is not one way to solve this problem," he said. "That's why we need to keep thinking up new and creative ideas.

"The public has a right to know this information," he added. "Neighborhood associations could reinvigorate their crime watches to better protect everyone."

Consalvo said a registry is an effective way to promote accountability among offenders. But in light of the recent Criminal Offender Record Information reform, and possibly to gain support among other councilors, he later added that offenders should stay on the registry for only five years. Consalvo added that mandatory counseling should also be a part of the legislation.

Council President Michael Flaherty also supported the measure, saying that a registry could help the city identify "hot spots" where extra police forces should be deployed.

Councilor Charles Yancey (Dorchester, Mattapan), who said there have been 66 gun-related deaths in the city this year to date, also backed the proposal.

"This body must protect the general public," he said. "This registry will help to do that by increasing the emphasis on community policing."

Eleven of the 12 councilors present went into a private executive session during the meeting yesterday. Councilor James Kelley (South Boston, South End) was not present because he is recovering from brain surgery that was performed last week.