OJAI : Council Suspends Taxi Operation
The Ojai City Council has agreed to suspend operation of the city’s two-car taxi service because officials say the owner does not possess car insurance and necessary working permits.
Ojai officials say a customer of the Ojai Taxi Service informed the city in May that the taxi company appeared to be doing business in violation of municipal codes, City Clerk Cyndi Reynolds said.
Reynolds said taxi owner Ken Cornelius was notified of the problems May 20, but failed to act.
After city officials reviewed Cornelius’ file, they found other violations, including no proof of registration from Ventura County and a lack of annual vehicle inspection checks, Reynolds said.
“We want the Ojai taxi to operate, but we have to do this because we could be held liable,” Mayor Steve Olsen said.
“We’re caught between a rock and a hard place,” he said.
Cornelius, who has owned and provided the service since 1987, was out of town and did not attend the City Council meeting Tuesday night.
It is the only taxi service available in the Ojai Valley, city officials said.
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