All's fare: under trial program, you could hail a cab.

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IN most major cities, taxicabs routinely stop to pick up passengers on busy streets, and double parking is common.

But not in Los Angeles. A cab that stops is a cab in imminent danger of getting a ticket of $100 or more. Instead, taxis must line up in special zones, where they may idle for hours while would-be customers, confused and frustrated, go unserved.

But change finally may be in hailing distance, at least downtown.

The city Transportation Committee is scheduled to consider an initiative this week that would, for the first time, allow people to hail a taxi virtually anywhere downtown.

The "Hail-a-Cab" program, introduced by Councilwoman Jan Perry, could begin a six-month trial period as early as July 1 if it passes the City Council. It will allow taxis to double park briefly and stop in bus zones and other restricted areas.

"This is an idea that's way past its time," said Perry, whose district includes downtown. "This should make it easier for people to circulate downtown."

And such a change would be welcome news for many cab drivers.

For example. Israel Tadessi, a downtown taxi driver who has received his share of tickets, said he plays a daily high-stakes game with authorities. Recently, while picking up a passenger near First and Spring streets, he opened his hood to make it look like his vehicle had broken down, hoping he could avoid a fine.

It didn't work. Tadessi received unlikely praise for his ingenuity but got a ticket anyway.

"I said, 'Why are you doing that? I'm doing this for a living,' and he said, 'I'm doing this for a living, too.' And he wrote me a ticket," Tadessi said. "There are lots of businesses on Broadway and Los Angeles, but we can't pick up there. We are losing a lot of business because of that."

Tough regulations

Getting around Los Angeles, especially in downtown and Hollywood, has long been a difficult task, in part due to the city's strict enforcement of state laws. Most cab drivers regularly drive right past people trying to hail a fide, even when the taxi is empty, for fear that authorities will cite them for stopping where not allowed.

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Still, Abraham Demoze, a downtown taxi driver, does it anyway. Despite his best efforts to avoid tickets, he incurs about $1,000 in fines every year. "I probably have around $700 or $800 to pay right now. I can't afford it," he said.

Under the current law, taxis are subject to the same roles as private passenger vehicles, which means they cannot double park or stop in red zones, along curbs with "No Stopping" signs and in a number of other restricted areas.

They can park and pick up passengers along streets with available parking, but since most business is available on the busiest streets where parking is scarce, the city's 2,300 licensed cabs tend to idle in designated taxi stands and wait for passengers to come to them--sometimes more than half of the day.

The new program--which will allow cabbies to stop "a reasonable amount of time" in otherwise restricted areas--will only apply to downtown but eventually could be extended to Hollywood and other areas. The change is not only expected to make it easier to catch a cab, but should also boost business for taxi companies.

"I think we're going to see a lot more passengers from this program," said Bill Rouse, general manager of Los Angeles Yellow Cab Co. "I'm happy that the city is taking a common-sense approach to this issue."

Yellow Cab operates 739 taxis across the city, about 100 of which are in downtown. Rouse said his drivers are excited at the prospect of having more freedom and avoiding the sometimes excessive fines, which he said drivers incur "regularly." What's more, he said, drivers will no longer be forced to pass up fares from potential passengers unfamiliar with the law.

"The passengers on the street have a hard time understanding why the cabs won't stop for them," he said.

Jonathan Patience, a concierge at the Wilshire Grand Hotel, said he constantly hears similar complaints from guests who come from out of town and are not familiar with the law. Even when they do call a taxi, he said, it is still inconvenient.

"They'll call a cab and it will take them an excessive amount of time to come pick them up," he said. "Patrons have said that they would like to be able to wave a cab down, as in any other big city."

A lengthy fight

The program is a long time in coming.

Downtown boosters began pushing for the change more than three years ago, saying the increasing density of the area made it necessary for residents to catch cabs anywhere they want--and economical for cabs to cruise for pickups. It wasn't until recently, however, that officials warmed to the idea.

The initiative received unanimous approval earlier this month from the Board of Taxicab Commissioners, a city authority in the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. The support for this initiative, some say, demonstrates how downtown has become a destination not only for businesses, but also residents and tourists.

"It's a reflection of downtown coming of age and becoming a true city," said Carol Schatz, chief executive of the Central City Association of Los Angeles, a downtown advocacy group that spearheaded the program. "If cabs are moving freely about downtown and not just parked in long lines at some venues, I think you'll see employees on their lunch break take a cab elsewhere. It will also be a great boon to our residents because if they've gone to a nightclub and they don't want to drive and it's a little far to walk, they'll be able to hail a cab."

Sagar Parikh, who works for an investment management firm downtown, said he would appreciate the ability to hail a cab without having to search for a pickup zone or calling for a taxi.

"It sucks when you're going to a bar or even a restaurant--it would be a lot easier to get a cab anywhere," he said. "The taxis are just lined up here all day long, and there area a lot of people around downtown that need taxis."

By RICHARD CLOUGH Staff Reporter

GABRIELLA GONZALEZ Contributing Reporter