Local News in Brief : Cab Firm Gets Green Light
Over opposition from other cab drivers, the Los Angeles City Council gave its approval Tuesday for a new taxi firm--Bell Cab Cooperative--to begin picking up riders in the city.
Bell, which will be owned by its drivers, was given the right to put 80 cabs on the street in a wide area from east of downtown Los Angeles to the ocean. It includes the lucrative downtown business district and most fancy Westside hotels. Bell will be barred, however, from serving Los Angeles International Airport.
Drivers from five Los Angeles cab firms opposed granting a city license to Bell, arguing that the 1,068 taxis now working the city were forced to meet more stringent requirements than Bell. But council members said they were swayed by reports that cab service is dismal in many parts of the city.
Under the council’s unanimous action, Bell will have to prove that it is economically fit in 30 days. It must open a headquarters and have 30 cabs on the street within six months.
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