Attorney General's News Release

February 8, 2000

Judgment requires taxi company to regularly test meters, pay civil penalty to resolve overcharging allegations

St. Louis, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon today obtained a court order requiring a St. Louis taxicab company to conduct regular, independent testing of its taximeters and pay $5,000 in penalties and costs to the state to resolve allegations some customers were overcharged by inaccurate meters.

In addition to the testing and the penalty, Harris Cab Co. Inc., located at 3740 Enright, also must educate its drivers with the terms of consent judgment and make them familiar with city ordinances regulating taxicabs. Harris Cab also does business as Harris and Eagle Cab Co. The taximeter testing must take place every six months and after repairs to the taximeter, transmission, odometer or speedometer.

A former Harris driver, Bamidele Adeyemi, whose taxicab contained an inaccurate meter, will pay an additional $1,700 to the state under the consent judgment signed today by Judge Robert H. Dierker Jr. Judge Dierker issued a permanent injunction preventing the defendants from advertising or selling taxicab services unless the taximeters being used were operational and met all applicable state laws.

Last February Nixon filed lawsuits charging three taxicab companies and several individuals with violating Missouri consumer protection laws by using inaccurate meters to overcharge customers. Lawsuits are still pending against Hugo's Taxicab Co. and its sole owner, Zahari Jovhev; and Riverfront Cab Co., its owner, Ezezew Biru, and drivers Fikre A. Alemar, Jessie Bonner, Patrick Lee Demsko, Haddish Kaleta, Ocabaselassi Mehari and Tesfamichael Teferi.

Taxicab passengers often are placed at a disadvantage in using taxi services, Nixon said, because they often must take the next available taxi in line; they often are visitors unfamiliar with actual distances involved; they are typically required to pay in cash; the taxicab operators control the meters; and the passengers have little recourse when presented with the fee calculated by the meter.

The lawsuits were based on information obtained during a joint investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department of St. Louis and the Division of Weights and Measures of the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818