Why is it so hard to get a taxi in Las Vegas? There seem to be so many on the Strip, but they always seem to have passengers, they won't stop on the street to pick anyone up, and as soon as they drop someone off in front of a casino, they roar off. How many taxicabs are there in Las Vegas? Are there not enough to go around?
When we last answered this question in 2013, Las Vegas had a little more than 2,400 cabs, operated by 16 companies. At the time, some cabs were limited by time, day, and geography in terms of where and when drivers were allowed to pick up passengers; they could drop off at the airport, on the Strip, or downtown, but they couldn't pick up. This gave passengers away from the tourist corridor a chance to get a cab. But when Uber and Lyft came along, the Taxicab Authority, which oversees the industry, realized that gave rideshare drivers an unfair advantage, so all restrictions were lifted.
Today, there are 3,250 taxicabs and they're operated by the same 16 companies. The total number is up roughly 25%, which is a fairly substantial increase, at least in our opinion, especially considering all the competition from Uber and Lyft, much more today than there was 10 years ago.
Still, with tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands of visitors at any given time, we agree that cabs, as well as rideshares, can be tough to come by.
One reason is that the Taxicab Authority, which oversees the industry, actually discourages cabbies from picking up "flags," or people off the street, which represent the highest percentage of driver robberies. That's why they -- and cabbies -- prefer picking up passengers at cab stands: At most, surveillance cameras are taping the action.
Second choice is calling the cab company and having them dispatch a car to pick you up. That's typically where cabs that "roar off" after dropping passengers are heading. And with the ubiquity of cell phones, it's a simple matter to call and get in the queue.
Keep in mind that cabs aren't allowed to pick up flags on the Strip. Safety laws prohibit them from stopping to pick up passengers from the sidewalks or corners, thus the plethora of taxi stands at resorts, shopping centers, and attractions.
Cab drivers can be ticketed for stopping on the Strip to pick up a fare. With no pullover lane and constant traffic, it's a whole lot safer for all involved to grab a cab at a designated taxi stand or call for one to meet you at your location.
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Randall Ward
Dec-07-2022
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Roy Furukawa
Dec-07-2022
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