Injunction bans Port of Seattle from signing deal with Yellow Cab
SEATTLE -- The Sea-Tac International Taxi Association has earned more time in the airport cab battle.
On Monday the state Court of Appeals granted a temporary injunction banning the Port of Seattle from signing a contract with Yellow Cab until further notice.
Court of Appeals Commissioner Mary Neel said the case will be heard by a three-judge panel "toward the end of April."
The injunction was requested by members of the STITA, which has been exclusively serving the airport since 1989. STITA filed the petition after the port dropped the company it helped set up. Yellow Cab won the port's first competitive bid of $18.3 million, a sum $8 million greater than the bid STITA submitted.
STITA's complaint alleges the port conducted an unfair bidding process by requiring bidders to commit to pay at least 10 percent of their airport-based revenues to the port. The port had been charging a per-trip fee to cabs.
"We are thrilled that the court stopped the port from proceeding with an illegal contract," said STITA spokesperson Jesse Buttar. "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."
The port has maintained it held a fair bidding process, and has declined to make any amends.
A second lawsuit against the Port and Yellow Cab by Farwest Taxi was filed on Feb. 12.
On Monday the state Court of Appeals granted a temporary injunction banning the Port of Seattle from signing a contract with Yellow Cab until further notice.
Court of Appeals Commissioner Mary Neel said the case will be heard by a three-judge panel "toward the end of April."
The injunction was requested by members of the STITA, which has been exclusively serving the airport since 1989. STITA filed the petition after the port dropped the company it helped set up. Yellow Cab won the port's first competitive bid of $18.3 million, a sum $8 million greater than the bid STITA submitted.
STITA's complaint alleges the port conducted an unfair bidding process by requiring bidders to commit to pay at least 10 percent of their airport-based revenues to the port. The port had been charging a per-trip fee to cabs.
"We are thrilled that the court stopped the port from proceeding with an illegal contract," said STITA spokesperson Jesse Buttar. "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."
The port has maintained it held a fair bidding process, and has declined to make any amends.
A second lawsuit against the Port and Yellow Cab by Farwest Taxi was filed on Feb. 12.