New long-hauling rules expected for Southern Nevada cabbies

The Nevada Taxicab Authority is expected to update rules next month dealing with drivers who take longer routes than necessary in a practice known as long-hauling.

That practice, along with fuel surcharges and other costs, was cited in a state audit last year that determined Southern Nevada taxi riders were overcharged $47 million annually in various fees.

“The issue has gone on way too long,” Stan Olsen, chairman of the five-member board regulating Southern Nevada’s taxicab industry, said Thursday.

Taxicab drivers are required to take the shortest possible route, and passengers must approve of alternate courses.

Next month, the authority might consider a list of alternate routes that might not be the shortest way to reach a destination but wouldn’t be considered long-hauling.

For example, the shortest route from Mandalay Bay to Caesars Palace is along Las Vegas Boulevard, said Cheryl Knapp, general manager of Whittlesea-Bell Transportation.

However, that drive might not make sense when the Strip is congested. Frank Sinatra Drive could be an acceptable alternative for drivers, Knapp said.

Roughly 300 alternate routes were recently tested by taxi drivers and cab company supervisors, said John Marushok, general manager of Frias Transportation Management.

Long-hauling violators could be fined up to $100 for a first offense; a second offense could result in a $200 fine and a three-day suspension. Fines and suspensions incrementally increase up to a fifth offense, when drivers could have their permits revoked.

Ridership and revenue continued to plummet for Southern Nevada’s taxicab companies, according to figures released Thursday.

The region’s 16 certified taxicab companies reported a combined 1.8 million trips in January, a 10.7 percent drop from the same month in 2016. The companies also reported a combined $30 million in revenue, down 11.1 percent from January 2016.

Contact Art Marroquin at amarroquin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Follow @AMarroquin_LV on Twitter.