LOCAL : 400 Cabbies Snarl Traffic Around City Hall to Protest Proposed Rules
About 400 members of United Independent Taxi Drivers snarled downtown traffic this morning as they drove from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to the Civic Center where they circled City Hall, horns blaring, for half an hour to protest proposed new regulations on taxi operations.
Many of the cabs had signs in their windows or on their hoods addressed to Mayor Tom Bradley and the City Council, asking them to withdraw support for the proposed system.
Under the plan, the number of regulations governing cab operations would increase from 40 to more than 200, and fines ranging up to $500 could be imposed for violations. A showdown vote is expected in the council Friday.
“They’re just trying to wipe us out,” said David Shapiro, representing UITD. “They want to drive the independents out of business because they know a driver-owner can’t afford those fines, but a big company can.”
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