WM. PRESTON LANE, JR., GOVERNOR. 793

subject and have repealed the provisions in said Article 66 1/2
inconsistent with said local laws, this? doubt having arisen in
connection with the construction of Chapter 941, of the Acts
of 1945, relating to taxicabs in Montgomery County; and

WHEREAS, it was not the legislative intent to declare it to
be the State policy to regulate taxicabs by a general State-
wide law as shown by the fact that there were no provisions
in said Article relating to taxicab meters, taxicab rates or
any special requirements for taxicab operators; and

WHEREAS,, such lack of legislative intent was further shown
by the enactment at the same session of the General Assembly
of three separate acts providing for the regulation of taxicabs
and taxicab operators in Annapolis, Baltimore City and
Prince George's County (Chapters 376, 411 and 663 of 1943);
and by the enactment of similar laws for Baltimore County,
Frederick City, and Wicomico County (Chapters 323, 500,
and 671 of 1945); and for Prince George's County, Havre de
Grace, Howard County, and Bel Air (Chapters 712, 745, 759,
and 816 of 1947); and

WHEREAS, it is desirable to remove any uncertainty on the
subject; now therefore

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That Section 1 of Article 66 1/2 of the Annotated Code
of Maryland (1947 Supplement), title "Motor Vehicles", be
and it is hereby repealed and re-enacted, with amendments,
to read as follows:

1. (Applicability. ) The provisions of this Article are in-
tended to be State-wide in their effect, and except to the
extent that they may be specifically authorized by other pro-
visions of this Article or by Public Local Laws providing for
the regulation of taxicabs and the operators thereof, hereto-
fore or hereafter enacted, no City, County or other Municipal
sub-division of the State shall have the right to make or en-
force any local law, ordinance or regulation upon any sub-
ject for which provision is made in this Article, nor require
any registration or licensing of motor vehicles or operators
thereof in addition to the registration and licensing herein
prescribed, nor impose upon the owner or operator of any
motor vehicle any tax, registration fee, license fee, assessment
or charge of any kind for the use of a motor vehicle upon
any public highway or highways in this State.

The provisions of this Article (except as herein otherwise
specifically provided) are intended to be exclusive of all local
and municipal legislation or regulations, upon the various