By Antonio D. French
Filed Friday, June 22, 2007 at 12:39 AM
Labels: Special_Reports
Taxicab drivers trying to start their own company say they have been put on hold by the Metropolitan Taxicab Commission while the industry-dominated panel bypassed a moratorium on new permits to grant them to existing companies.
The organizers of City Express, whose prospective drivers are predominantly Ethiopian, have been trying to get the commission to allow them to pick up 120 existing permits forfeited by Allen Cab and St. Louis Auto Livery when the company folded earlier this year.
Former drivers for Allen Cab note that it was one of only two companies that provided substantial service to north St. Louis neighborhoods. The other is Harris Taxicab.
Drivers put out of work when Allen Cab and St. Louis Auto Livery went out of business were hired by other companies after the commission declared an emergency and granted the permits formerly allocated to Allen Cab and St. Louis Auto Livery to existing companies.
The commission placed a moratorium on issuing new permits two years ago. Michael Goldberg, the lawyer for City Express, has questioned the commission on the process it goes through to suspend the moratorium when cases like the Allen Cab situation arises.
At the most recent meeting of the commission June 20, Goldberg was able to get Patrick McCarthy, the general counsel for the commission, to admit that the process has been in his words “ad hoc.”
“I think it is important to have a fair procedure,” said Goldberg during the public comment of the meeting.
Goldberg asked for and got a commitment from the commission director D. Michael Tully to provide how many applications for permits are on file, how many are ahead of City Express and how many applied after his client.
The commission has hired a researcher from University of Missouri-St. Louis to study whether more permits are needed, whether to extend or lift the moratorium, and the quality of service in the metropolitan area. The study is to be delivered to the commission with recommendations in December.
The commission has suspended the moratorium three times since it was imposed. The latest time was earlier in June when Wilson Taxi was found to have been operating without insurance for at least 90 days, a violation of the code regulating taxicabs.
Tully told the board that an emergency was declared, Wilson’s permits were revoked and seven of its 15 drivers put out of work were hired by other companies.Wilson’s permits were reassigned to the companies that hired the drivers.
Both Tully and McCarthy confirmed to the commission that code enforcement agents were completing a full investigation of Wilson Taxi.
6 Comments:
If I remember right, sometime in the 1960s there was a scandal about the mayor's relative allegedly having almost a monopoly on taxi service in the city.
6/22/2007 3:14 AM
I'm one of the
Wilson Cab Co. drivers. Today's political climate is one that evokes fear in my mind, I'm honestly afraid to express myself here,even in assumed anonimity.Stipped of my dignity, once again, by the system, i'll throw causion to the wind and comment.
Nine days ago, I was blindsided by another order to cease opperating my taxi and surrender my taxi cab plates, that I incendentally paid for, to the director of the SLTCC. Some problem had been discovered at Wilson cab co., reguarding insurance compliance,and no other information was available. I was devestated, because only a few months ago, Allen/Auto Livery collapsed, and I was a contractor there. Just as I begin to recovery from one of the most frustrating and humilliating experiences of my short lived entrepnerial life, Wap, back to ground zero. The next day, there was no news reguarding the viability of Wilson Cab Co. I heard only about "meetings" and "investigations", call back later I was told by a person who ansered the telephone at the taxi commission.I decided to wait until the next day to call back, because I was concerned that my frustration, with this situation,had grown into anger. I wanted answers, now, my living is on the line here. The next late afternoon, word from a pressummed spokes person, that answered the phone at the taxi commision, was that Wilson Cab Co. was suspended and the lenth of the suspension was unknown at that time. The good news was that all the Wilson Cab Co. owner operators, would be allowed to move their vehicles to the company of their choice. I understood this to be the directive issued by the St. Louis Taxi Cab Commissions, director. I didn't rush right out and begin the process that is required, by SLTCC, to move my taxi to another fleet, because the painful memory of a directive issued,by the director,and then reissued,reversing the initial directive,was fresh in my mind, costing me almost everything I had, during the AllenCab/Auto Livery fiasco. I waited until the next week, just making sure that the directive reguarding,moving my vehicle to the fleet of my choice,was not going to be change, after I had spent my time and money, in persuit of SLTCC compliance,and hopefully, back to work.
Maybe now is a good time to share with you all, how we were treated, after the Allen Cab/Auto Livery collapse.We were told by the director, after two weeks of no information, that all the owners that had year 2000 and older would not be allowed to move our vehicles to another fleet. The SLTCC code didn't allow me, and other like me, who had year 2000 and older to move to a new fleet. So, myself and some other owners that were trapped by this event,searched for and purchased newer model vehicles,so that we could meet the SLTCC code requirments, thus ending our, now 3weeks of zero income,and back to work. Thats just the half of this tragedy. As I drove my new preowned vehicle, that required a down payment, and an approved loan, all during this period of zero income,my phone rings,informing me that the director has reversed his directive,and is now allowing owners with year 2000's or older to move to another fleet, provided the fleet had open permit space available.I didn't know what to think, I just dropped 1000.00 on a down payment for a vehicle that I don't need now, and, i'm obligated to pay of a 48 month loan at 10% plus interest. Meanwhile the scramble is on to find a company that has some space available on their fleet.The remaing "radio" cab companies had absolutly no interest in me and my 1999.Nor did i have any interest in them.With my choices extremly limited and the clock ticking, I desperatly latched onto Wilson Cab Co.
The SLTCC investigation is not complete.Was Wilson Cab Co. operationg without insurance for 90 days or more? If so, how does a very small company with only a few vehicles and drivers operate in violation of the St. Louis Taxi Commission Code for 90 days plus?
I was required to show proof of insurance, when I tranfered my vehicle to the fleet, way back in early march. I was also required, by the SLTCC to show proof of insurance at this years annual "inspection" on the 29th of May.Did the director ever bother to find out if this policy was valid and in effect? Did it take 90 plus days to find out if Wilson was in compliance? What about the larger taxi cab componies? Do they have proper insurance? Is the publics health, saftey and welfare being guarded? What about my health,safety and welfare? Who protects me from taxi cab co. owners, that run away from their buisneses without explanition, and fails to purchase and maintain proper insurance? Do I matter? Perhaps His Honor Mayor Slay can answer these questions, or His Honor County Executive Dooley can provide some clarification, after all they are responsible for appointing the director,the chairman and the members of the board, right?
P.S.The "good news" allowing us to move to a fleet of our choice,has been recinded, pending an "emergency Meeting" saturday morning 10:00 am(thats what time the SLTCC web page says,who knows maybe they will change that today)
6/22/2007 6:22 AM
The Taxi Cab Commission needs serious investigation. Anonymous with the long story- you and your colleagues should pool some money and get the best lawyer you can find. Maybe you already have, good. They have been corrupt for too long. Keep at it- it STINKS!
6/22/2007 5:14 PM
Why should there be a taxicab comission at all? Why does one need permission to sell people a ride in a car?
t
6/22/2007 5:46 PM
amen, tom, amen. seems to be due to being that way at one time (airport taxi corruption (banks, cervantes, westfall)and the current "beneficiaries" don't want change.
when ever i see one of those taxi "license" tags, i want to ask the driver, "why do you abide that?"
6/22/2007 10:52 PM
Anything involving Pat McCarthy warrants an investigation.
6/24/2007 8:19 PM
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