More taxicab drivers are headed to court to face substantial fines and/or jail time for violations since the city Customer Services Department resumed group field inspections of taxicabs — a practice that had ceased in 2013 due to staff constraints.

Sheri Kajiwara, director of the city Department of Customer Services, said her department has expanded the number of staff members trained to serve as inspectors to 13 from eight, allowing the city to undertake additional random field checks to better manage taxicab enforcement.

“In the interest of public safety, the city intends to continue to conduct unannounced compliance checks of taxicabs at random locations across Oahu,” Kajiwara said. “We want to make it harder for taxicab drivers to circumvent the law.”

This stepped-up enforcement, along with a city taxi reform bill that passed its first reading Wednesday, follows a Honolulu Star-Advertiser three-part series that demonstrated shortcomings in city oversight. The newspaper found that most taxi records were not computerized, and the city had little leeway to suspend or revoke permits even when serious complaints were lodged. The city recently issued a permit to driver Enio Tablas, who is awaiting trial on charges of sexual assault against female passengers in two separate incidents last year. Since 2006 Tablas has been convicted of theft, driving with a suspended or revoked license due to DUI, failure to take a chemical test and numerous traffic violations in California and Hawaii.

Kajiwara said her department has petitioned the city’s corporation counsel to give an opinion on whether Tablas’ license can be revoked on the basis of his prior California convictions, even though they were not part of the city’s background check.

“We’re also exploring whether we have the right to suspend his license while we are awaiting a determination,” Kajiwara said.

Honolulu City Councilman Joey Manahan, who chairs the Council’s Transportation Committee, and Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi also are pushing for taxi improvements. The pair have said they prefer to postpone a major taxi industry overhaul until the state establishes rules for ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft. However, they hastened to introduce Bill 70, which requires certified taxicab drivers to retake oral and written exams that test their knowledge of driving routes, landmarks and English-speaking skills annually. It also establishes a dedicated phone line for complaints and requires taxicab drivers to display that telephone number in bold letters that are at least three-eighths of an inch in height. Further, it specifies that taxicab drivers must submit photographs annually and gives the city Department of Customer Services director leeway to specify by rule the required number and size of photographs.

“We wanted to tweak our rules to step up enforcement, and we wanted a more comprehensive way to track complaints,” Kobayashi said.

Kajiwara said her department has been criticized for not implementing recommendations made by a taxi industry working group to improve criminal background checks of taxi applicants. While she supports more comprehensive national, maybe even international checks, she said she prefers to take cumulative action over the next six months on this and other measures.

“To me this entire system is broken and needs to be improved,” Kajiwara said. “I don’t want to go through the administrative rule process to change one rule if 15 changes are needed.”

In the meantime, Kajiwara said department field checks, which require inspection of all documents, licenses and equipment required to operate as a taxicab, will improve the industry.

State Parks Administrator Curt Cottrell said he was pleased to see city motor vehicle inspectors return to Diamond Head State Monument Park on Thursday for their second enforcement action in 15 days.

“We’re thrilled that they got new inspector positions and now have the manpower to check on rogue taxi drivers, a problem that has proliferated,” Cottrell said. “Over the last decade we’ve seen more and more drivers illegally parking and soliciting fares. Some of them have harassed visitors and chased them down for fares. Others have allegedly fought each other. I’ve even heard that there was an alleged stabbing between drivers.”

Kajiwara said Diamond Head was the first stop for newly trained taxicab inspectors who returned to the job Sept. 24. During that effort, inspectors found that half of the eight taxicabs inspected were noncompliant with city laws. They issued seven citations for violations in rate charts, driver certificates, taxi meters and trip records.

Cottrell said State Parks hopes to establish a taxi permit system at Diamond Head and will work with the city to improve the taxi experience for parkgoers. Kajiwara said the department returned to the park partly to follow up on complaints that a faction of uncertified cabdrivers has been overcharging customers and fighting with each other.

“We’ll keep going until taxi drivers understand that this is not the wild, wild West,” Kajiwara said. “We’ll go where we are needed.”

On Oct. 1 at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, inspectors also found seven out of 27 vehicles were noncompliant. Eight citations were issued to drivers for problems with their certificates and taxi meters. Inspectors conducted another check at the USS Arizona Memorial, where they found six out of 44 taxicabs were noncompliant. Inspectors issued seven citations for problems with driver’s certificates, insurance, taxi domes and trip records.

The first taxi drivers cited have received a summons to appear in court Oct. 22, said city information officer Christian Hellum. Those convicted of violating the city regulations could be subject to a fine of up to $1,000 and or up to one year’s imprisonment.

“The results of that hearing will be very important,” Hellum said. “The real deterrent will come from what is imposed.”

Cabdriver Keneti Maniti, who drives under his own Eagle Cab dome, said he welcomes city measures to improve the taxi industry.

“It’s good to make sure that everybody is on par with standards and has a valid certificate,” said Maniti, who passed Thursday’s inspection at Diamond Head. “But what is the city and state doing about Uber and Lyft? They should have to pay commercial insurance and follow rules, too.”