Fines boosted for ride-hailing drivers who break rules at McCarran airport

Penalties just got stiffer for ride-hailing company drivers who shirk rules surrounding picking up passengers at McCarran International Airport.

The Clark County Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved hiking fines for drivers who pick up passengers at the airport on the spot, rather than booking through an app.

Such off-platform transactions were the focus of a Las Vegas Review-Journal story Tuesday.

The change came amid a breadth of fine hikes that affect commercial and non-commercial drivers who violate airport rules, such as parking in a no-parking zone. The airport’s fines had not been updated since 2002, said airport spokesman Chris Jones. Clark County’s fines were below average compared with other municipalities, he said.

The ordinance change allows fines to increase for repeat offenders. Jones said the county believes the ability to escalate fines for those who keep breaking the rules will dissuade violators.

The arrival of ride-hailing companies Lyft and Uber to Las Vegas tested the fines’ ability to act as a deterrent and what the county saw was that some were willing to just pay and go on breaking the rules.

From Sept. 26, 2015, to Dec. 31, 2015, there were 221 ride-hailing company drivers who had repeat offenses of some kind. Of those, 43 had three or more violations, according to Jones.

“Not a large number of people, but there were enough that they weren’t really deterred by the charges they were being hit with,” Jones said. That said, the dynamic is different since Uber and Lyft both got permits to operate out of McCarran, making it legal for their drivers to pick up passengers so long as they are getting those passengers from the app.

Although Uber and Lyft have been able to operate out of McCarran for months, cab company owners have said they are suspicious that drivers are illegally operating outside the app in baggage claim areas.

Previously, such violations were subject to a maximum fine of $155. Now rule-breakers risk a fine of up to $300 for a first offense. A second offense could make the fine jump by 50 percent, although not to surpass $450. A third infraction, a 100 percent increase, not to surpass $600. Those with four or more violations are looking at a 200 percent fine increase, not to exceed $900.

Not paying a fine could make a first offense double to $600 and a repeat offense could climb to $1,800.

In 2015, there were 5,907 citations airportwide, according to Jones. That statistic covers a variety of types of violations, such as a taxi without its beacon, a Las Vegan parking in a no-stopping lane when picking up a relative, and drivers for ride share apps not following the rules.

Contact Bethany Barnes at bbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861. Find her on Twitter: @betsbarnes.