TOURISM:

Taxicab industry on fast track to recovery

While Southern Nevada’s tourism economy is gaining momentum, one industry already is putting up banner numbers: Clark County’s taxicab companies.

“The numbers are in and last month was the best June ever,” said Kelly Kuzik, a management analyst with the Nevada Taxicab Authority.

According to statistics released Tuesday by the authority, cab trips for the month were up 10.3 percent to 2.3 million in June.

All 16 Clark County cab companies showed improvements over June 2010, with A-Cab, one of the smallest companies in the valley, showing the best percentage boost, a 17.1 percent improvement over the previous year.

Industry leader Checker improved by 11 percent, sister company Yellow Cab was up 11.5 percent and No. 2 company Whittlesea was up 10.6 percent.

“A year ago, there was so much red (negative numbers) in the statistics that I thought it was going to bleed to death,” Kuzik told authority board members.

Kuzik said nearly every statistical category was positive in June, with revenue per shift up 11.5 percent, trips per shift up 9.8 percent, revenue per trip up 1.6 percent, trips per medallion up 9.3 percent and revenue per medallion up 11 percent.

June taxi trips were bolstered by the first-ever appearance of the Electric Daisy Carnival, an electronic music festival staged at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the end of the month. The Taxicab Authority granted extra cabs for the weekend and it paid off.

Company representatives said the predominant rider pattern was that carnival attendees arrived at the event with friends in their cars, but became frustrated with exiting traffic and long waits to get out, abandoning their friends’ rides for cabs, which had separate lanes and routes to exit.

For the first half of 2011, taxi trips have been up compared with last year every month.

Overall, taxi drivers have provided nearly 1 million more rides in six months than they did in 2010. In the first six months, local cabs provided 13.9 million rides, 7.5 percent ahead of last year’s pace.

The best month of the year so far was March, when 2.5 million customers rode in cabs.

“It’s exciting to see that we’re one of the only industries that is growing,” Kuzik said.

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The authority granted additional cabs for an upcoming convention, welcomed a new chief investigator and began the process of possibly moving the agency from its current address.

The authority board unanimously approved granting five to six extra cabs per company for the Aug. 22-24 MAGIC International Marketplace fashion convention at the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The action will result in up to 96 additional cabs on city streets.

•••

Taxicab Authority Administrator Charles Harvey introduced Ruben Aquino, who has been appointed the authority’s new chief investigator. Aquino will oversee the authority’s compliance, dispatch and inspection divisions.

The board also approved opening the rulemaking process to revise regulations that specify the address of the authority. Harvey explained that the agency’s location at 1785 E. Sahara Ave., Suite 200, at an office complex near Sahara and Burnham Avenue, is listed in administrative regulations that would have to be amended if the agency moves.

State officials are considering moving the office when the lease expires in November. Harvey said the office is a tight fit for the agency and the authority’s hearing room doubles as a training facility. Harvey said the state would look to see what is available for office space since a buyer’s market exists.

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