A third taxicab carrier is officially allowed to operate in Hollister after council members approved its permit in a 4-1 vote Monday.
Council members approved the cab permit for LTD Taxi, which has operated since December without the proper license.
Councilwoman Pauline Valdivia had the dissenting vote. Valdivia said she voted against the license because LTD had been operating illegally before filing appropriate paperwork in January. LTD Taxi co-owner and driver David Baraby has said he thought his taxi license – from working previously as a Yellow Cab driver – had been adequate.
“We can’t be rewarding people for doing the wrong thing,” Valdivia said.
Other council members contended city officials should not be determining the necessity of a third taxi business. Need and safety matters – the police department conducts a background check of applicants – are primary considerations for the licenses, according to the city code.
The business joins Hollister Taxi and Yellow Cab as the three operators in the city.
Those two other businesses had openly complained about LTD Taxi operating without the license, leading to the push to have the third carrier apply as required.
While Valdivia stated the non-compliance factor as her reason for voting against LTD’s license, she acknowledged having questions about the need for a third carrier. Three years, ago, she voted against Yellow Cab’s application based on a perception of lacking need.
“The community isn’t that large,” Valdivia said Tuesday. “It looks like they (LTD Taxi) provide more service during the nighttime, especially when the bars close.”
She went on, though, stressing her “major reason” was LTD Taxi operating without the permit.
