Los Angeles, California Travel Guide
About Know the Neighborhoods Getting Around Attractions Hotels
Eats & Nightlife Essentials & Practicals
Public Transportation in Los Angeles
CABS & TAXIS
United and Yellow Cabs in Los Angeles
Overview: Getting around Los Angeles for the first time might be a little overwhelming and the only real challenge that you’ll likely face in L.A. That’s because L.A. covers A LOT of ground and you truly do have to rely on some sort of vehicle. So, here are your many options: rent a car, cab it, take the bus, take the subway or light rail to some places, arrange a tour bus of some kind, walk, bike or meet up with a local friend. The latter three options may be out of the question. But, here is some information the other Los Angeles transportation options.
CABS
Taxis or cabs in Los Angeles are abundant and often, so are their fares. Passengers get charged for both distance and time. A breakdown of costs are below. High fares at the end of a drop-off can be attributed both to the sheer size of Los Angeles (distance) and the traffic and numerous traffic signals (times).
Official cab companies in Los Angeles are overseen by the city of Los Angeles (taxi commission and L.A. Department of Transportation). Cab drivers, for the most part, are professional, especially the companies listed below. I’ve heard of the unscrupulous driver who’ll veer here and there to make an extra buck but that’s not too common because a L.A. cab driver would rather drop you off, get back to his or her station or terminal through traffic and wait for the next drop-off. A good thing about L.A. cab drivers is that they will pick you up if you are in a wheelchair without hassle.
Checker, Bell and Yellow Cab are the most common and ones I’ve used.
Cost: $2.85 for the first 1/9th mile, $2.50 additional for trips starting at LAX, $0.30 for each additional 1/9th mile, $0.30 for each 37 seconds spent in a cab.
Contact: Major cab companies in Los Angeles are:
- Bell Cab: site: www.bellcab.com, ph: (888) 235-5222
- Checker Cab: site: www.unitedcheckercab.com, ph: (877) 201-taxi
- Beverly Hills Cab Company: site: www.beverlyhillscabco.com, ph: (800) 273-6611
- Independent Cab Company: site: www.taxi4u.com, ph: (800) 521-8294
- Yellow Cab: site: www.layellowcab.com, ph: (800) 200-1085