Taxis Ordered Not to Operate Outside of City

Superior Court Judge Warren H. Deering granted a temporary restraining order Friday prohibiting taxicabs operated by the six member companies of the Taxi Industry Council of Los Angeles from picking up passengers in the cities of West Hollywood and Santa Monica and in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

The order was requested by United Yellow Cab Co., which charged that the companies have conspired to form a trust and have interfered with United Yellow’s business.

On Jan. 22, the taxi council filed a lawsuit against United Yellow, claiming that it was operating taxis in the city of Los Angeles without city licenses. The council’s suit coincided with an announcement by Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley of a crackdown on so-called “bandit” cabbies picking up fares in the city without proper permits.

A hearing on the taxi council’s temporary restraining order against United Yellow was scheduled Tuesday, but Judge Deering agreed to continue that hearing until March 10, when he also will hear United’s request to make its order permanent.

Alan Farnoosh, president of United Yellow, said the taxi council companies are guilty of exactly the same “bandit” tactics that they accuse his company of, except that they do it in West Hollywood, Santa Monica and unincorporated areas of the county.