Valleywide : City Weighs Relaxing Local Taxi Franchises

A city commission Thursday indicated a willingness to give more freedom to non-Valley cab companies to serve Valley riders while the city hunts for a new taxi company to serve local communities.

Under the proposed changes, non-Valley taxis would be allowed temporarily to pick up passengers on Valley streets and from local cab stands, which they are currently prohibited from doing.

On Thursday, the Los Angeles City Transportation Commission approved a tentative resolution that would give it the power to grant exceptions to its rules barring cabs from picking up riders outside their assigned areas, and to other rules.

Los Angeles has granted taxi franchises in five zones throughout the city, which is served by eight cab companies. Two cab companies--San Fernando Valley Checker Co. and Valley Cab Co.--are assigned to the San Fernando Valley.

The commission’s move was intended to fill a gap in service that could occur if the city decides to revoke the taxi franchise of Valley Checker Co.

The tentative resolution set the stage for the commission--at a later date--to approve an interim plan for Valley Cab and non-Valley companies to pick up Valley Checker’s slack while a new cab company is being sought. The arrangement with non-Valley cab companies would cease when a contract with a new Valley-based cab company goes into effect.

By approving the tentative resolution, the panel set into motion a 45-day public-hearing process that must be completed before it can adopt the interim plan.

Reaction from out-of-the-area cab companies that would benefit from being temporarily allowed to pick up passengers in the Valley was cautiously optimistic.