New cab services begin at JWA

Paul Clinton

JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT -- Orange County airport managers yanked the rug

out from under a Costa Mesa cab company Wednesday, installing a

consortium of new cab operators.

John Wayne Airport Director Alan Murphy brought in the three new

companies, operating under an interim agreement as John Wayne Yellow Cab

Service, after American Taxi informed the airport it would cease

operations at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

By 2 p.m., the distinctive natural gas-powered American Taxi cabs --

white, with red roofs -- were nowhere to be found on the airport’s lower

level.

The airport had granted an exclusive right to the taxi company to pick

up arriving passengers. Any cab company is free to drop off travelers at

the airport’s upper deck of the Thomas F. Riley Terminal.

“Airport staff made every effort to ensure a seamless transition for

our patrons during this adjustment period,” Murphy said in a statement.

“The commencement of service by the new operator went as planned and was

completed quickly, with no disruption to the traveling public.”

The consortium of three firms -- Yellow Cab of North Orange County,

Taxi Systems and Cabco Yellow -- will provide service for the term of a

six-month agreement. They are required to have at least 50 cabs at the

airport during regular days and 110 on holidays and other peak periods.

The firms will be paid a minimum of $39,000 or 13 cents per arriving

passenger each month, whichever is higher.

“We’re happy to be here,” said Larry Slagle, the president of Yellow

Cab of North Orange County. “It’s unfortunate that one of the cab

companies had to cease service, but that’s an opportunity for us.”

By Wednesday afternoon, American Taxi had cleared its cars out of the

holding lot at the airport. New cabs were lining up at the airport’s

Grand Transportation Center, a staging area where greeters help travelers

find a cab.

Drivers from other companies with cabs buzzing around the airport

Wednesday said they welcomed the chance to secure the permanent contract

at the airport.

Kuldeep Sing, a driver with A Taxi Cab, said his company was unfairly

chased out in March 2000, when airport managers picked American Taxi over

his firm.

A Taxi began operating at the airport in 1996.

“For no reason, they kicked us out,” Sing said. American Taxi drivers

“were inexperienced people, always dropping people off at the wrong

hotels.”

Airport spokeswoman Ann McCarley said A Taxi was removed for other

reasons.

“They failed to provide acceptable proof of insurance,” McCarley said.

“In the best interests of the traveling public, they were no longer

authorized to operate at the airport.”

American Taxi filed for bankruptcy in April after the company became

embroiled in an ownership dispute. After struggling to pay off creditors,

Ford Motor Credit Co. threatened to repossess the fleet. Ford said it

would seize the 142-car fleet Wednesday.

* Paul Clinton covers the environment and John Wayne Airport. He may

be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail ato7

paul.clinton@latimes.comf7 .