52 Limo Services Accused of Violations

Fifty-two Los Angeles-area limousine services have been cited this year for operating without California Public Utilities Commission authority or for otherwise violating regulations governing charter party carriers, the PUC said Wednesday.

“There has been quite an upswing recently” in the number of charter party carriers, said PUC spokeswoman Carole Kretzer. Statewide, according to PUC transportation division official Roger Marxen, the number of permits in the charter party carrier category has more than doubled in the last five years to an estimated 2,500.

Kretzer said that many limousine and van owners, however, neglect to obtain licenses in order to avoid the expense of state-required insurance or annual safety inspections by the California Highway Patrol.

The agency noted that its staff is still investigating the May 20 crash of an unlicensed tour van in the California desert in which six Korean-Americans died and six others were injured.

Unauthorized Van

“The van that overturned,” she said, “never bothered to get authority from us or from the (federal) Interstate Commerce Commission.” Operated by Doremi Tours of Los Angeles, it was carrying Korean-speaking tourists to Los Angeles from Las Vegas when it went out of control on Interstate 15 just west of the Nevada border.

Since Jan. 1, the PUC said, investigators checking a Yellow Pages directory have discovered 14 unauthorized limousine services operating in the South Bay area. Another 21 were found in Pasadena parking areas during the Jan. 28 Super Bowl game and 17 more arrived with passengers at the March 30 Academy Awards ceremony.

Of the 52 limousine services cited, 27 were operating without PUC authority and the others were cited for advertising without including their PUC-issued numbers or for failing to display the numbers on the vehicles.

Fines ranging from $100 to $1,700 have been assessed and bench warrants have been issued against eight operators who failed to appear in court.