Meter ticking on cameras in cabs

Wednesday, March 23, 2005 | 9:28 a.m.

The two largest Southern Nevada taxicab companies are close to having their fleets equipped with cameras, the Nevada Taxicab Authority was told Tuesday.

But representatives of smaller companies, balking at installing cameras until they get a directive from the state Legislative Counsel Bureau to do so, were tongue-lashed by normally mild-mannered Taxicab Authority Chairman Richard Land.

"You've been dragging your feet since October," Land said to representatives of Nellis Cab, Lucky Cab and the Frias Cos. "You've sat on your duffs during that whole time. If there are two more murders in cabs (that aren't equipped with cameras), the board is going to be blamed for it."

Land's remarks were the most critical comments made publicly to date by the Taxicab Authority, which saw its proposed regulations regarding the placement of cameras in cabs fall into legislative limbo in January.

The Taxicab Authority approved the camera regulations in October, but they were challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, which believes the installation of audio recording equipment could violate the privacy of customers. An interim legislative committee objected to the regulations and sent them to the Legislature for consideration. But so far, the Taxicab Authority has received no word from the Legislative Counsel Bureau about the status of the regulations.

Southern Nevada's largest cab companies -- Yellow-Checker-Star and Whittlesea Bell Transportation -- decided to install cameras on their own.

"I think the good news for the day is that about 40 percent of the city's cabs are close to having cameras," said Bill Shranko, operations manager of Yellow-Checker-Star.

Brent Bell, president of Whittlesea Bell Transportation Co., which operates Whittlesea Blue Cab and Henderson Cab, said he expects to have his entire fleet of 386 vehicles outfitted with cameras by April 1 -- the original deadline date mandated in the Taxicab Authority's cameras-in-cabs regulation.

Bell's digital camera system captures audio as well as video images. He said if lawmakers return with a regulation banning audio, he would simply turn off that function. In the meantime, he said the audio recording has not only been the safety enhancement it was mandated to be, but a good management tool that has made his drivers more safety conscious.

He also said it has helped him identify "a few bad apples," and that evidence gathered by the cameras enabled him to fire five or six drivers who violated taxi regulations. Bell told the authority board that the audio system recorded two cab drivers who took their vehicles out soliciting male pedestrians and offering free rides to a local topless dance club.

"If it weren't for the audio, we would have never known about that," Bell said. "The drivers could have told us they were being flagged down by people, but the audio captured the entire conversation."

While the large companies were praised for moving ahead on the installation of cameras, representatives of the small companies said they were waiting to determine exactly what state lawmakers would require of them. While some said they wanted to put the most inexpensive camera into their cabs, others indicated they were hoping for some kind of legislative reprieve on the issue.

Kenny Rodriguez, a supervisor for the Frias Cos., said his company was waiting to see if alternative safety measures, such as driver shields, safes and global positioning systems, could be installed as alternatives to cameras.

Bell was critical of some of his colleagues.

"I'm disappointed with some of the people in this industry," Bell said. "These delay tactics are pathetic."

The Taxicab Authority board took no action on the matter, agreeing to "stay the course" and wait for a response from the Legislative Counsel Bureau. If the Legislature fails to act, the camera regulation could still be enacted as early as July 1. Board members fear that it would take small companies that haven't moved forward on cameras several months to equip their fleets.

In other business, the Taxicab Authority approved additional cabs during the 2005 National Association of Broadcasters convention April 15-21 and the Laughlin River Run April 21-24.