Las Vegas, NV September 26, 2019
In a historic move, the five-member
Nevada Taxicab Authority Board today voted unanimously to implement zone-based
pricing for taxi trips between McCarran International Airport and the Las Vegas
Strip resort corridor. The new fare structure will be rolled out as a six-month
pilot program and go into effect January 1, 2020. Traditional time and distance
pricing will remain in effect for trips that occur outside of the zones.
The zone-based pricing proposal was one
of many recommendations that came from a series of informal roundtable
discussions between members of the taxicab industry and the Nevada Taxicab
Authority which were held to evaluate industry-wide challenges and
opportunities.
A fixed-rate will be charged when
travelling between the airport and one of three zones. The three zones
share a common eastern boundary at Interstate 15 with extensions incorporating
major casino resort properties east of the freeway into the appropriate
zone.
Approximate north/south zone boundaries
and fares include:
- Zone
1- Sunset north to Tropicana; $19
- Zone
2- Tropicana north to Flamingo; $23
- Zone
3- Flamingo north to Stratosphere; $27
Zone pricing provides fare transparency
and predictability and will give drivers the authority to make efficient route
decisions based on their working knowledge of traffic. According to Taxicab
Authority Administrator Scott Whittemore, instituting fixed-fare zones will
provide the riding public with predictability and transparency.
“This historic move is a significant
step for this regulatory agency, and I believe it will be very positive for the
taxicabs operating in Las Vegas,” said
Whittemore. “Instituting flat fare zones between the airport and the Las
Vegas Strip corridor provides the riding public certainty and transparency in
the fare they pay, helps eliminate the scourge of long hauling and levels the
playing field between drivers and between taxi companies.”
Members of the taxicab industry plan to
set aside a small assessment from each airport trip in order to develop an
industry marketing fund to create an awareness campaign to announce the new
initiative.
About the Taxicab Authority
The
Nevada Taxicab Authority, a division of the Department of Business and
Industry, regulates the taxicab industry in Clark County to ensure the safety,
comfort and convenience of the taxi-riding public. The regulated industry
includes 16 certificated companies which operate 3,530 taxis that must be
inspected annually by the authority and employ 6,734 vetted drivers that are
required to pass FBI, state and local background checks. In 2018, approximately
17.1 million taxi trips were booked. Approximately 84% of trips that originate
at the airport end within the resort corridor1.
The
Taxicab Authority is governed by a five-member board appointed by the Governor.
The administrative and enforcement functions of the agency are led by an
Administrator who is appointed by the Director of the Department of Business
and Industry. The agency’s P.O.S.T. certified peace officers investigate
violations of applicable laws and regulations, conducting routine operations
targeting long hauling and unlicensed transportation activities. Vehicle
inspectors ensure the safety of the public by ensuring vehicles comply with
mandatory mechanical operating standards. Administrative staff support the
various functions of the agency and include public safety dispatchers.
1
Data compiled for July-August 2019 by Triad TransTech/Kaptyn from taxicabs
using a DT-5 smart meter