Hermosa Beach might get tough with bandit cabs
In an effort to reduce the number of unlicensed cabs picking up fares in Hermosa Beach, police department officials are planning to conduct “bandit cab” stings downtown and would like to make a major increase in the fine for illegal taxis. Ennis Jackson, the city’s community services administrative coordinator, is seeking to increase the fine for illegal taxis from $50 to $1,100. Jackson said complaints from licensed taxi drivers has recently reached a “crescendo.” A taxi drives down Hermosa Avenue at night. Photo by Ed Pilolla. Most taxi passengers find a cab at the Pier Plaza taxicab stand on Hermosa Avenue at 11th Street, which is designed to function like a typical taxicab stand, with vehicles moving forward as passengers climb into the first cab in line. Taxi drivers waiting in line said that bandit cabs typically steer clear of the plaza taxicab stand and pick up fares elsewhere downtown. “We don’t know anything about those (unlicensed) drivers’ histories,” Jackson said. “We don’t know if vehicles are insured or if the vehicle is mechanically sound or the rate they are charging a passenger.” In 2009, one citation was written for operating an illegal taxi. Four were written…
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