Valley & State

The Phoenix City Council will consider regulating and closely monitoring the more than 1,500 taxicabs operating in the city.

City staffers are suggesting a program where the city conducts background checks on taxi drivers, vehicle inspections and pays police officers overtime to enforce compliance.

While the state requires proof that a taxi cab has $300,000 worth of insurance, a tamper-free meter and posted rates on the cab sides in 3-inch lettering to receive an annual registration sticker, for the most part, it's up to local police to enforce compliance.

The lack of city oversight is a safety concern for passengers, said Councilman Tom Simplot, a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee.

"We don't even have anything inside the taxicab to tell passengers their rights or even if that driver has a license," Simplot said at meeting Thursday.

Representatives of taxicab companies said new oversight would create a burden on the companies and encourage other metro cities to enact their own licensing and inspection programs.

Craig Hughes, CEO of Total Transit Inc., suggested that companies would pay an annual fee to get more enforcement of current laws.

La Monte Jackson, director of risk management for Total Transit Inc., said safety and service make companies competitive.

"Create standards that hold companies responsible for background checks and have the city do audits," suggested Jackson. "We do background checks, drugs tests. Our vehicles are late models. They're inspected every 30 days. Not once a year."

Vice Mayor Peggy Neely, chair of the subcommittee, said she'd take the issue to Maricopa Association of Governments to see if there are other suggestions for low cost but effective enforcement of the industry.

Reach the reporter at sadiejo.smokey@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8148.