Taxicabs line up Wednesday to pick up tourists at McCarran International Airport. The Nevada Taxicab Authority on Thursday agreed to put as many as 320 extra cabs on Las Vegas Valley streets for the NBA All-Star Game weekend this month. Some cabbies believe the allotment won't help, given gridlock and crowded cab loading areas in and around the Strip. Photo by John Gurzinski.

As many as 320 extra taxicabs are permitted to ply Las Vegas Valley byways to help shuttle fans during NBA All-Star Game weekend this month, the Nevada Taxicab Authority ruled Thursday.

But some cabbies believe that putting more cabs on the roads is less important than getting existing cabs through jampacked streets and passenger pickup areas more quickly for the Feb. 18 game.

Poorly designed and understaffed taxi staging areas at hotels and other gathering spots, combined with roadwork and congestion that is slowing resort corridor trips, could make the extra cab allotment moot, some drivers told the authority.

"The problem isn't that there's enough cabs. It's the traffic problem," said George Williams, a driver for Checker Cab Co. "Look at the hotels. There are taxis sitting there, waiting for riders. People can't load them fast enough into taxis."

But authority board members, who unanimously approved the extra cab allotment, said they'd prefer a cushion for the All-Star Game, which has never been held here before and is expected to draw as many as 150,000 tourists and a global television audience.

"I'd rather overallocate than underallocate" cabs, said Kathryn Werner, the authority's chairwoman. "We want to make sure there are cabs available so shows keep coming to town.

"Nobody knows what is in store for that particular weekend," Werner said. "I'm interested to see how that works out."

The allotment will allow each of the valley's 16 cab companies to put out as many as 20 extra cabs on Feb. 17, 18 and 19. Each company also will be allowed as many as 16 extra cabs on Feb. 16 and up to 14 extra cabs on Feb. 15, as fans begin to file into the valley.

It's unlikely that all cab companies will use the full allotments, depending on each firm's number of backup cabs available. On a typical day, roughly 1,600 cabs are on duty in the valley.

In addition to the Feb. 18 game at the Thomas & Mack Center, the arena also will host a rookie all-star game Feb. 16 and skills contests Feb. 17.

The Mandalay Bay Events Center will be home to a "Jam Session" fan festival Feb. 15-19, a celebrity all-star game Feb. 16, and a minor league all-star game and open-to-the-public all-star practice sessions Feb. 17.

Various Strip resorts are hosting large parties throughout the weekend.

Williams, echoing a common cabbie lament, says a glut of cabs will only add to traffic tie-ups while depressing driver earnings.

"You're adding more taxis and more traffic," Williams said. "The south side of the Strip is going to be horrible. Adding a lot more taxis will make that worse."

Karla Hiropolous -- a steward with the Industrial Technical Professional Employees union, the valley's largest labor representative of cabbies -- agrees with Williams.

"We know it's going to be totally gridlocked," she said. "Nobody's going to be able to get anywhere."

The authority also approved extra cabs this month for the Men's Apparel Guild In California clothing show, known as MAGIC. The show, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, is one of the valley's largest annual conventions, drawing more than 100,000 people.

Each cab company will be allowed to put out as many as eight extra cabs at a time Feb. 12 and as many as 14 extra cabs at a time Feb. 13-15. Last year's MAGIC show resulted in a large number of complaints about a lack of cab availability.

Some cabbies have long complained that getting into and out of the Convention Center during major events has been difficult.

"We believe the drivers won't go to the Convention Center unless they have to go to the Convention Center," Hiropolous said.

Convention Center officials have been working with the taxicab authority in recent years to find ways to better get cabs into and out of the facility.