James Buie, part owner of J&B Cab, talks about the fact that he has three cabs in use that don’t match his white-and-red color scheme.(Jon Giffin The Vicksburg Post)

[1/13/04]A J&B Cab owner said he will seek an extension from the Vicksburg Public Transportation Committee to paint three more taxis to comply with a city law that went into effect this month.

James Buie, co-owner of the cab company, said he has already talked with the committee chairman, James Stirgus Jr., about keeping out-of-compliance cabs in his fleet for about a month. Buie said he will ask today for a 30-day extension.

“They are already aware of it,” Buie said.

Stirgus could not be reached.

The ordinance went into effect at the first of the year to increase standards for taxi operations. One provision requires all of a company’s cars to match. J&B, the only cab company to survive the tighter regulations, painted most of its cabs white with red lettering.

Other changes included requiring meters as opposed to zoned fares and increasing liability insurance coverage.

Buie said the changes cut into his business, but that it has picked back u*any lost their licenses to operate.

Before the changes this summer, J&B had 15 cabs and was the largest of the three companies. Today, J&B has seven cabs painted white and three he expects to paint.

Before changes went into effect in July, taxi companies operated under a 44-year-old ordinance amended only once, in 1990, to reflect a rate increase.

Cab companies are private businesses, but operating vehicles for hire requires a city franchise and compliance with franchise requirements. City officials established the three-member transportation panel a year ago to study new rates and other changes. After hearings, most of their recommendations were enacted by the city board.

A Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce committee has been investigating the possibility of seeking state or federal funding to start a countywide bus system, but those plans are not likely to be initiated for at least two years, officials have said.