Culver City : Cab Firms OKd, Fees Hiked

Culver City has given four taxicab companies permission to pick up fares within the city but it has raised the annual license fee for each cab to $400 from $75.

The approved companies are United Independent Taxi Drivers, Yellow Transit Systems, Independent Taxi Owners Assn. and Beverly Hills Transit. Of the 231 vehicle permits approved by the City Council late last month, more than half are reserved for United, which has been serving the city for the past three months.

Until August, Yellow Cab of Culver City was the only company licensed to serve the city and it handled an average of 1,000 calls a month with 10 cabs. But Yellow went bankrupt and sold off its assets, leaving the city without taxi service, City Atty. Norman Herring said. Licensing more than one company will help ensure continued service and provide healthy competition, he said.

Taxi company representatives pleaded for lower license fees, saying that taxi drivers may not break even in a slow market.

“Four hundred dollars is too much to charge to pick up in Culver City,” said Edward Harris, who handles marketing for United. “You are what we call a bedroom community. . . . Let’s face it, you’re not a tourist mecca.”

A staff report showed, however, that the fees are within the range of those charged by other cities in the region. West Hollywood charges $400, Santa Monica $250, Hawthorne $35 and Los Angeles $768.

All four companies agreed to honor city-issued vouchers for elderly riders and to implement ride programs for minors and intoxicated drivers.

Council members said they expect the number of companies and cabs to adjust to what city demand will support. License fees may be adjusted as a result.

“We might lose a company, but a couple will survive,” Councilman Albert Vera said.