Bandit Cabs in Los Angeles

Karen L. Hofland (Letters, Feb. 12) was critical of the ongoing “sting” operation being carried out against bandit cab drivers who violate city taxi regulations. A number of misconceptions were expressed in that letter about the nature of bandit taxi operations and the purpose of the city regulations.

First of all, the primary purpose of the regulations is to protect the public, and the license fees collected from the issuance of permits are used to pay for this public-safety program.

In order to comply with city regulations, a taxi operator must carry liability insurance for the protection of passengers and their belongings, as well as anyone with whom the taxi might become involved in an accident.

Each taxi also has to pass stringent safety inspection, and those standards have to be maintained or the operating permit will be revoked. In addition, taxi drivers must undergo criminal background checks, and if they have been convicted of certain offenses--particularly drunken driving, hit-and-run, drug-related offenses and violent crimes--they may not qualify for a permit to drive a cab.

Persons wishing to legally provide public transportation for hire in Los Angeles have options open to them other than obtaining a franchise if they can comply with these public-safety requirements. Franchised taxi operations frequently have openings for new drivers. Additionally, there are two independent associations of taxi drivers operating in the city. These drivers, who own their own vehicles, utilize other drivers as lessee-operators.

The public-safety regulations came into being in the first place because of problems encountered in taxi operations. Those same problems continue to exist in bandit taxi operations, which is why the city’s ongoing enforcement effort was undertaken. Many taxi drivers become bandit operators because they were unable to meet the city’s public-safety requirements. Many do not carry liability insurance to protect their passengers and other motorists; their vehicles do not undergo city safety inspections and some of them have criminal backgrounds that prohibit them from ever being allowed to legally drive a taxi in Los Angeles.

When the city Department of Transportation gets complaints about lost or damaged luggage and cabs bring driven recklessly by bandit operators, we frequently are unable to even identify the cab or driver because there is no record of them to which we can refer. That means nothing can be done to assist the victims.

A person selecting a taxicab cannot feasibly check to see if that vehicle is properly maintained or is driven by an individual with whom they can entrust their physical welfare. It is easy to spot a taxi that has met the city’s public-safety requirements, since it will display city-issued decals on its front doors. Members of the public have the right to expect their government to look after their safety, and that is what the city taxi regulations are designed to do.

JAMES K. HAHN

City Attorney

Los Angeles