SPRINGFIELD - City Cab Co. is back in the good graces of the city's Taxi Commission.

Apologies have been made, a dispatcher has been reassigned, and employees have been warned, all stemming from problems that prompted an emergency Taxi Commission meeting on Nov. 9, officials said.

Commissioner Lisa Placanica said last week that the steps that owner Gregory J. Connolly outlined in a letter were sufficient to comply with commission orders.
"That's sufficient for me," said Placanica this week. "I thought that his letter was very appropriate. He's always been very compliant."
The Nov. 9 meeting came the day after a dispatcher cursed Placanica over the telephone and refused to provide information about a driver who had gotten into an accident on Nov. 5 while driving without a city-issued taxi license.

Commissioners said the prospect of a driver who had been in an accident and who still lacked a taxi license merited the emergency meeting in order to ensure public safety.
Commissioners ordered Connolly and dispatcher Steven Losaw to submit letters of apology, and for Connolly to say in writing what steps he was taking to deal with Losaw's actions.
City Cab also was put under warning that the commission would suspend all of its licenses for a minumum of five days if another driver was found to be operating without a taxi license.
City Cab and Losaw were given 10 days to comply with commission orders, and both did so. Losaw submitted an apology letter, Placanica said.
Connolly said he apologized with no excuses.
"Please be assured that I am personally appalled by the events that transpired, and am making these statements with contrition and sincere regret of their occurrence," read his letter to the commission.
Losaw has been reassigned from dispatching at City Cab, Connolly said.
Drivers were given written warnings that they could be fired for picking up fares in cities and towns from which they have not received taxi licenses. That came after the driver involved in the Nov. 5 accident was found to be licensed to drive in Holyoke but not here.
City Cab has fired the driver, Connolly said.
The accident occurred at 46 West Alvord St. without injuries, officials said.
City Cab dispatchers also have been ordered to refer information requests to the business office, Connolly said.
The commission is a voluntary city board of five members which licenses drivers, determines whether cabs are fit for the road, and penalize for violations.

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