Cabdrivers objected last night to what they said was the Cambridge License Commission's interference in their affairs, as recently-passed regulations of cab age and flat rates came up for review.

Since April 1995, no Cambridge cab that is more than nine years old can legally be in service. Cabdrivers protested that enforcement of the "nine years vintage rule," which was waived for 122 drivers last year, would require them to purchase vehicles they can't afford, putting them out of business come April.

In addition, drivers protested the commission's flat rate regulations, which set fixed rates for trips from Cambridge hotels to Logan Airport. These rates, which include tolls and gratuities, are usually lower than the metered fares, costing drivers revenue.

The commission said the regulations are in the public interest, but opponents of the regulations argued that the regulations do little to benefit the public while harming the drivers.

"I think it's clear that the age of the vehicle doesn't determine the safety. Safety comes from maintenance and repair," said Edward J. Lang, who represents a group of more than 50 Cambridge cab drivers who objected to the regulation.

The more than 20 drivers in the room nodded in agreement as Lang called the rule "harsh" and a "hardship" on drivers. They charged that the rule fails to properly address those safety concerns that motivated the 1994 rule.

City Councillor Anthony D. Galluc- cio joined Lang in arguing that regulating safety is a matter of sufficient inspections, not "bright-line" rules that link car age directly to safety.

Galluccio pledged to support greater funding from the council if it would increase inspections to the point where age is not needed as a guideline.

Galluccio said regulations that further reduce driver income will result in compromises in service.

"It's getting to the point where they can't earn a living anymore. We're chipping away at the industry, and we're going to lose these good, quality people," Galluccio said, gesturing to the drivers who packed the room and spilled into the hallway.

"I would love to have a brand new car on the road, but I cannot hand out the money," cabdriver Emelio Lormil told the commission.

Fire Department Chief Kevin J. Fitzgerald, one of three commissioners, objected to using money as a motive. He referred his own department, which requires the car fleet to be replaced every two years and keeps three mechanics on staff, all in the name of public safety.

Commission Chair Benjamin C. Barnes also cited public safety as the sole motive behind the rule, and not concerns of cab appearance, which Lang said was an additional motive for the rule in 1994.

Barnes noted that the commission had given two years' notice of the vintage regulation before passing it.

Further, he said, mechanics made the final decisions last year as to which older cabs would be allowed to remain on the road despite their age. The rule, according to Barnes, has not been indiscriminately applied.

"They're back-pedaling," Lang said. "They're acting like [last year's exemptions based on safety] are a gratuity."

"They have tremendous power to control safety" without looking at cab age, he said, citing commission regulations that require many annual inspections and allow for random inspections.

After the meeting, Lang told the commission that the drivers put tremendous work into keeping their cars washed, waxed, polished and safe.

He gestured to the driver who was waiting to take him home after the meeting, whose car will not be allowed to remain a cab after April if the rule isn't changed or an exemption granted.

"It's a beautiful cab, and it's going to have to be taken off the road soon."

Flat Response to Flat Rates

In March of last year, the commission divided Cambridge into four zones, each with a different set of flat rates for trips from hotels in the zone to Logan airport.

For many hotels near Harvard, which include the Charles Hotel and the Sheraton Commander, the rate is $23 during rush hour, 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., and $18 at other times.

These fairs include the costs of tolls and gratuity. Even at rush hour, the fare is a few dollars less than the average price with tip quoted in The Unofficial Guide to Harvard.

Besides the general loss of revenue, drivers complained that the flat rates were passed before a $1 increase in the cost of the tunnel that cabs take to the airport.

One driver, Abraham Lom, said he benefits from the flat rates and wants the zones redefined and a morning rush hour added.

Regardless of whether drivers benefit, hotel customers may not even be aware of the flat rate.

"It doesn't really make a lot of difference to [our patrons]" said Michael S. Struk, assistant front office manager of the Sheraton Commander on Garden Street. He said he quotes a range, not the flat rate, when his guests ask what a cab ride to Logan will cost.

If cost is that much of a concern, customers will take the U.S. Shuttle which, though it takes a little longer, costs $14, Struk said.

If the commission decides to revoke the flat rate, "our guests will probably not know," a Charles Hotel concierge said.

He said he tells guests they should be charged a flat rate, but has heard complaints that not all drivers are charging the flat fare.

According to Richard V. Scali, the commission's executive officer, if a cab driver accepts a patron who has just left a hotel, he is obliged to charge the flat rate unless the patron asks for a metered rate.

But at least two Harvard Square taxi drivers disagreed.

One said in an interview that passengers must request it. Another said flat rates are available only at certain times of the day.

The rule's opponents suggested that local hotels, which were enthusiastic about the policy last March and in their recent letters to the commission, are not particularly interested in the outcome.

Bill Labellini, who distributes brochures to area hotels describing the flat rates, questioned whether the hotels care, saying that only two have requested additional brochures since March.

The commission took both matters under advisement and will render a decision on Jan. 30