In the continuing saga of STITA vs the Port of Seattle, on Monday (Feb. 22nd), the Washington state Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the cab company by granting a temporary injunction against the Port of Seattle’s planned contract with Yellow Cab/Puget Sound Dispatch.
This means the Port cannot sign the planned contract “until further order of the Court” (click here to download/read the order as a PDF file), which could happen in April.
STITA’s request to expedite the appeal was granted by Commissioner Mary Neel. The Commissioner’s order states that this case will be heard by a three-judge panel “toward the end of the April 2010 term,” meaning that this ongoing SeaTac soap opera is far from over.
Members of STITA, who filed the original lawsuit against the Port of Seattle on Jan. 29, were obviously pleased with the decision.
“We are thrilled that the court stopped the Port from proceeding with an illegal contract,” said Jesse Buttar, a STITA member and spokesperson. “We’ve only ever asked for a fair process and a legal contract and now we hope the Port has finally listened and will re-do its flawed bidding process.”
Here’s more info from STITA’s press release, issued late Monday afternoon:
STITA, a non-profit co-op with one of the greenest cab fleet in the country, was created in 1989 by the Port of Seattle to exclusively serve the airport and provide reliable service to airport users. Now, after an unfair proposal process, STITA and its approximately 450 members and drivers will essentially be put out of business. They have the airport contract through August 2010.
STITA’s lawsuit claims that the Port’s bidding process violated state law by requiring bidders to commit to pay an unfair concession fee of at least 10 percent of their airport-based revenues to the Port. This revenue system violates the Airports Act, which says airport concession fees must be based upon the actual cost of operations and be reasonable and uniform. Previously, the Port had charged a per-trip fee to taxis based on the airport’s actual cost of services provided to the cabbies.
Additionally, the lawsuit contends that the Port’s new concession fees violate the King County Code and takes away from the King County Council’s authority to set “just and reasonable” taxi meter rates.
Despite protests from STITA to the Port about these glaring problems with the process and the proposed contract, the Port has so far declined to re-do its flawed contract bid.
A second lawsuit against the Port and Yellow Cab by Farwest Taxi was filed on Feb. 12.
Read our sister site The B-Town Blog’s previous coverage of this ongoing legal battle here.
The airport will open for every company soon and the cab licenses should also open as a free market for any licensed drivers starting from Sep. 1st, 2010 because that is the exact shot needed as fair decsion for all.
Edward.
That is cool idea that makes no more corruption with cabbie industry and every cabdrivers will makes equal in right of freedom.
I like those comment that makes free of smart corruption in the city, county and port tight in the hands of greedy taxicab owners. That is very recommended because the other drivers are crying during the economic downturn, and the light-train connection from airport makes double impact on the business. However, the poor drivers expected to pay sky rocating lease based on under table talk assocated with so many hiring discrimination based on back ground races. The industry has unfair expolitation drivers labor, and no equal opportunity maintained as a rule among licensed drivers because they had spent their careers time in driving for long, but if they own they can manage their time and go to school for careers change. No body like driving with all those hassel and stress and change must be seen in the industry based on all drivers right equally. I had noticed that for long the City and County not balanced as a civil right and equal opportunity law.
Frequent cab user, Jenny
OK,let's get a regional license.That way,I could pick up in Seattle or SeaTac.The airport,Seattle&King County had seperate licenses since 1983..when I started driving at the port.I witnessed a deregulated market in the 1980s.The cars were a mess and the public had unpredictable rates. IF the airport totally opened up,would there be enough business to sustain the extra taxicabs waiting?How long would an operator wait for their fare?OK,this doesn't matter to the public,but if the income doesn't sustain the driver&the cab..rates may go up(like the increase to $2.50/mile in Oct 2008) and the vehicle standards will suffer.I like Jim Sherill's comments last week:with higher fees for the operator,the operators may ask for a higher meter rate..which would hurt the consumer.