Transportation regulators OK fines, note rate increases

Friday, Jan. 15, 1999 | 11:31 a.m.

Recent fines and other actions by the Transportation Services Authority of Nevada:

A company that rented vehicles and used them for a shuttle service during the Comdex convention in November was fined $2,500.

Las Vegas-based Southern Hospitality was cited and fined for operating as an illegal carrier on Nov. 17. TSA investigators said the company had rented a Lincoln Towncar limousine from Budget Rent A Car in Las Vegas and was operating without state certification. The vehicle was released to Budget after the fine was paid.

Two days later, the same company was cited for operating a van rented from Enterprise Leasing Co. Because it was the second offense, the TSA fined Southern $5,000 and the vehicle was released to Enterprise after the fine was paid.

Commissioners also:

Fined Franklin Lee Alvarez of Las Vegas $2,500 for operating a Cadillac he rented from Alamo Car Rental as an illegal carrier on Dec. 12. The vehicle was released to Alamo after the fine was paid.

Approved a $15,000 fine against Autobus Shuttle Inc., a Utah company affiliated with Enterprise Rent-a-Car. TSA investigators said the company operated in Nevada as an illegal common or contract carrier. Half the fine can be vacated if paid within 30 days and the company becomes properly certified.

Issued a citation and a fine for $7,500 to Integrated Transportation, Beverly Hills, Calif., for operating illegally as a common or contract carrier. The TSA said $2,500 of the fine would be vacated if the company becomes certified within a year.

Fined Players Club International, Las Vegas, $5,000 for operating without certification as an intrastate commerce carrier. The company also was ordered to pay towing and storage expenses and a cease-and-desist order was issued until the company is certified.

Fined Adventure Charter and Tours, Las Vegas, $5,000 for selling its passenger carrier service without prior permission from the TSA. After approving the fine, commissioners approved the sale of the company to Travelways Inc.

Approved certification to Kuma of Nevada, doing business as AKA, Las Vegas, for charter limousine service and Michael Mandichek, doing business as Mountain Tow & Recovery, Reno, to change the company name to Mike's Auto and Truck Repair.

Approved certification for Travel Impressions LLC, Las Vegas, doing business as Nevada Charter, to provide intrastate charter bus service. It was the first certification of a charter line under new deregulated federal transportation rules.

Acknowledged two companies are raising rates for transportation services in Southern Nevada.

A-NLV Cab Co., which operates as Las Vegas Limousines, and Gray Line Tours of Southern Nevada both plan to raise rates by 10 percent for airport shuttle services. Las Vegas Limousines also plans a 10 percent increase on limousine charters.

Transportation companies can raise rates without commission approval up to 10 percent a year and are required to notify the agency. The Las Vegas Limousine increase took effect Thursday while the Gray Line increase occurs Monday.

A spokesman for Gray Line said the new rates would be $4.40 for trips between the airport and the Strip, $5.50 to downtown and $6.60 to outlying properties.

A Las Vegas Limousines spokesman said the company does not plan to raise rates the allowable 10 percent. Trips between the airport and the Strip will increase from $3.75 to $4 and to downtown, from $4.75 to $5. Warren Wagner, general manager of the company, also said the charter rate would decrease from $36 to $35 an hour.