Las Vegas Strip, McCarran airport seized illegal shared cars, 40 drivers cited

Posted on April 26, 2021, 10:30 a.m.

Last Updated: April 26, 2021, 10:45 a.m.

Nevada officials seized 40 illegal cars to drive and issued motorist citations in recent months. Most worked at the Las Vegas Strip or McCarran International Airport.

Illegal drivers asked passengers to pay in cash and did not use the app. The drivers were charged with illegal transportation. It's a violation under the Clark County Code.

The quotes come when Las Vegas passengers have to wait a long time for legal shared vehicles. To take advantage of delays and legal shortages of drivers, illegal drivers provide rides at the airport or along the Strip.

Data provided to Casinos. org by the Nevada Transportation Authority and the Nevada Taxicab Authority reveals that illegal drivers have been cited every month since January.

In January and February, there were five citations. It was 14 in March. In April, it was 16 from last week. More quotes are possible.

Law enforcement officials have encountered drivers that run outside of the app, "Teri Williams, a Nevada spokesman for the Business and Industry Department, said Casino.org . "Their law enforcement efforts are mostly focused on the airport and strip resort corridor."

Williams warns such drivers "caught soliciting passengers or transporting them out of the app will receive a quote of up to $ 10,000 and a vehicle confiscated, resulting in additional costs. "

This month, McCarran airport officials tweeted reminders not to use them. unlicensed rideshare cars.

Be safe when leaving the airport. Never accept a ride from anyone approaching you in the terminal or garage. Instead, find a taxi in the designated areas of the queue near baggage claim, or use the official @Lyft or @Uber apps to arrange a shared ride. pic.twitter.com/z4jtb8Kkkr

- McCarran Airport (@LASairport) April 8, 2021

In recent months, COVID-19 has a shortage of Uber and Lyft drivers, McCarran spokesman Joe Rajchel said.

Shortage of cars for shared use

He said airport staff had increased monitoring of McCarran's passenger common areas during rush hour. There are also warning signs and reminders at the airport that passengers should only take rides booked through Uber or Lyft apps, Rajchel said.

Unfortunately, we see people who want to take advantage of the car shortage on the roads and offer travelers rides beyond the official car sharing apps, "Rajchel said. Casino.org.

One of the patterns used by these illegal drivers is the claim they were driving which was canceled - and then offer a cash ride to people in the waiting room, Rajchel told local TV station KVVU.

Illegal journeys pose safety concerns

Furthermore, Williams called illegal passenger transportation a "safety concern".

Legal drivers must pass a background check, have rideshare car insurance and perform a basic vehicle inspection.

In addition, by using the app, passengers can verify that the driver is "in good working order and who he claims to be," explained Williams.

If drivers using a ride-sharing app such as Uber or Lyft are unavailable, passengers should use an alternative licensed mode of transport such as a taxi, limousine or shuttle, Williams advised.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that Las Vegas is among the US cities with "serious" shortages in shipping-related services, it said Financial Times .

Several drivers say it's due to their salary. Companies partly blame the delay in picking up passengers on the price restrictions that may be imposed.

It was also reported that the amount paid under the unemployment checks discouraged ex-drivers from resuming their jobs. Many ex-drivers also avoid driving because they are worried about COVID - 19 risk.

Since the pandemic, some drivers have chosen to work in the delivery of food and groceries, Financial Times he said.

As of March 30, there were 13,723 active drivers calling to drive in Nevada, according to figures published in Las Vegas Review-Journal . This compares to 36,482 on March 13, 2020.

Last week, KVVU reported that only about half of the rides ordered by Uber in the Las Vegas area had been completed. The situation is related to the increase in the number of passengers using McCarran.

Last month, the airport handled 2.6 million passengers. This is a 25 percent jump from over 2 million passengers in March 2020. That's 60 percent from over 1.6 million passengers in February 2021, daily review reported based on data from the Clark County Department of Aviation.