Marvin Mandel, Governor                          1457

operating under permit of the Public Service Commission or any com-
mercial vehicle for hire, to operate in either interstate commerce or
intrastate commerce over any street or highway of this State in the
transportation of passengers or property for hire, unless such vehicle
is covered by the minimum amounts of financial responsibility as
required by this Article, issued by an insurance company authorized
to do business in this State.

(b)    The Department shall not register such vehicle until such
person has certified to the Department, proof of financial responsi-
bility as required by this article and such certification has been ac-
cepted by the Department, and the Department shall suspend the
registration of any such motor vehicle whenever the Department
ascertains that such owner has failed, or is unable, to maintain such
proof of financial responsibility.

(c)    Any person violating the provisions of subsection (a) of this
section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.

(d)    This section shall not apply to the owners and operators of
motor vehicles engaged in the transportation of passengers or prop-
erty, subject to the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission of
Maryland, who operate 50 or more motor vehicles and have shown to
the satisfaction of the Commission, during a continuous operation of
at least five years duration, that they are financially qualified to
respond in damages to at least the extent required of other motor
vehicle operators by Part III of subtitle 7 of this Article, or to the
owners and operators of motor vehicles operating under certificate
or permit of the Interstate Commerce Commission who file with the
Department of Motor Vehicles an affidavit to the effect that their
operations are solely interstate under the authority of the Interstate
Commerce Commission. Nothing in this section shall be construed
to relieve those operating under Interstate Commerce Commission
exemption, or an intrastate basis, from filing evidence of insurance
as specified.

Subtitle 9. Civil Liability
Part I—Liability of Government Agencies
§ 9-101. Omitted.

§ 9-102. Liability of State and local government for commandeered
vehicles.

(a)    No police officer of this State, or of any political subdivision
of this State, while acting within the scope of his authority in the
enforcement of any law of the State or of the particular political
subdivision, shall direct or order any operator, owner, or passenger
of any motor vehicle within the limits of this State to assist him by
commandeering the vehicle and directing the operator, owner, or
passenger to participate in a road block in the apprehension of any
person suspected of having committed or known to have committed
a violation of law.

(b)    If any police officer of this State, or of any political sub-
division of the State, while acting within the scope of his authority