Beverly Hills : Concerns About Taxicabs

Mayor Max Salter said he is proud of his city’s stringent new guidelines for taxicab operators but is concerned about cabs licensed elsewhere that give visitors a bad impression of Southern California.

“London has immaculate cabs. In Tokyo they have white doilies in the taxis,” he said at the City Council’s informal session Tuesday. “I’ve gotten into cabs here that are a disgrace. And Los Angeles is the biggest city on the Pacific Rim.”

He urged Councilman Bernard Hecht and Councilwoman Vicki Reynolds, who serve as Beverly Hills’ liaison committee to neighboring cities, to press for area-wide standards that would improve the appearance, cleanliness and manners of cabs and drivers.