Law could spur shuttle crackdown

Salt Lake City is threatening to crack down on transportation shuttles — a move that even taxi cab companies (traditional archenemies of shuttle providers) are saying is overly harsh.

"It goes too far," said attorney Don Winder, who represents all three of the city's cab companies, of the city's latest attempts to rein in suburban shuttle companies.

In a letter last week, business license administrator Edna Drake informed several shuttle services that the city would start cracking down on shuttle companies. According to a new interpretation of the city's ground transportation ordinance, shuttle companies can no longer operate in Salt Lake City, except under a few isolated circumstances, Drake said.

The new interpretation came after Winder contacted Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson's office and suggested that the ordinance doesn't allow shuttle companies to operate like taxis. Anderson's office then asked city attorneys to examine the laws, leading to Drake's letter.

The law does "not allow anyone other than the duly licensed taxi cab companies that hold a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity issued by the city to pick up any fares within the city limits, whether on demand, prearranged or under contract," Drake wrote.

The letter, which went out to 194 different transportation providers, also noted that "we thought it would be in everyone's best interest that business licensing gives notice of our intention to enforce as directed by the ordinance."

Complaints and questions have flooded City Hall since and Orion Goff, director of building services and licensing, now says the city may back off.

"We really don't have any plans to do any extra enforcement," he said. "We don't have any manpower to do it."

Still, the letter has launched more arguing between the shuttle providers, which are headquartered in the suburbs but do most of their business in Salt Lake City, and the city's three taxi companies, which are regulated and licensed by the city and must provide 24-hour service in exchange for the right to operate.

Winder maintains many shuttle companies are running just like taxis but don't have the added burden of providing 24-hour service or having their rates set by the City Council.

Without such regulations, shuttle services, like Midvale-based Valley Shuttle, can steal taxi business in the capital city.

Shuttle service providers maintain the taxi companies aren't providing good service. Shuttle services have newer cars, better service and more knowledgeable drivers, which leads to more people seeking their service over the taxis, they say.

While people can't hail shuttles on the streets, people should be able to call and arrange shuttle service "in advance" if they want, shuttle operators say.