Craig Harris, a longtime Las Vegas Valley taxicab industry activist, journalist and driver, died Wednesday after suffering what appeared to be a heart attack, cabdriver union officials said Thursday. He was 57.

Harris, a driver for almost 30 years who'd spent more than two decades as an officer with the Industrial Technical Professional Employees union, was a well-known advocate for cabby safety issues. He was also managing editor of Trip Sheet, an industry magazine.

"The loss to the taxicab drivers, it's going to be massive," said Ruthie Jones, the union's local vice president. "Whatever fight that was to be taken up on the behalf of drivers, Craig was right there."

Harris, who drove for Yellow Checker Star Transportation since 1979 and served as the union's legislative coordinator for the past year, had long lobbied the cab industry to install surveillance cameras in cabs.

That years-long fight has paid off over the past year. Most cabs have cameras that have been voluntarily installed by owners, and the Nevada Taxicab Authority is moving toward mandating such devices.

Despite his activist role and sometimes-pointed cab business critiques in his magazine, the firm but soft-spoken Harris was liked by many industry regulators and managers.

"He was well-regarded within the industry," said Richard Land, Taxicab Authority administrator. "It (Harris's death) will leave a big hole, especially on the driver's side.

"He was really a stalwart supporter of the union and all drivers, not just the union's," Land said. "He really worked hard to improve the lot of the drivers, and their benefits and conditions."

Those efforts ranged from successfully pressing the industry to install emergency distress lights on cabs, to getting hotels to supply cold water to cabbies on hot days, Jones and Land said.

Harris had recently been hospitalized for congestive heart failure, Jones said. "He had been ill for quite a while," she said.

Service arrangements were pending Thursday afternoon, according to Jones.