40 vehicles impounded for drivers illegally offering rides for cash

Authorities have been cracking down on those looking to illegally take advantage of a shortage of Uber and Lyft drivers in Las Vegas.

Through Tuesday, the Nevada Transportation and Taxicab authorities have impounded 40 vehicles of drivers posing as ride hailing operators, according to Teri Williams, spokeswoman for both authorities.

As more tourists visit Las Vegas as coronavirus restrictions are loosened, the demand for rides has outpaced available drivers. This has led to some offering rides not clocked on Uber and Lyft’s apps in the Las Vegas Valley, violating state law that prohibits the solicitation of fares.

There’s been a noticeable increase in citations given as the visitor counts in Las Vegas have risen over the first few months of the year.

“Anecdotally, yes, compliance enforcement officers at both the Nevada Transportation Authority and the Taxicab Authority are observing that unlicensed/off-app activity has increased in recent months,” Williams said. “The 2021 monthly citation stats seem to validate this.”

There were five citations handed out in both January and February, with that jumping to 14 in March and 16 so far this month, Williams noted.

Those cited for providing rides for cash can face hefty penalties. Drivers who had their vehicles impounded can be levied fines of up to $10,000 for the violation, if the officer at their hearing determines they were providing unlicensed transportation services, Williams said.

Many of the ride hailing drivers who were operating before the pandemic shut down Las Vegas for 78 days and then under reduced operations ever since, haven’t returned to Las Vegas Valley roads.

State data shows the number of active ride-hailing drivers across Nevada is less than half of what it was a year ago. As of March 30, there were 13,723 active ride-hailing drivers across the state, compared with the 36,482 active drivers reported by the state on March 13, 2020.

McCarran International Airport officials have been warning travelers not to accept rides from off-app drivers, pushing the message out via social media and messaging at the airport, according to Christine Crews, McCarran spokeswoman. Officials have also stepped up enforcement efforts at the airport.

With capacity limits in Clark County increasing to 80 percent on Saturday, the driver shortage and illegal driver operations can be expected to persist.

“Unlawful passenger transport will continue to be an ongoing focus of these agencies’ targeted enforcement efforts,” Williams said.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.