Ron Klein, executive director of the commission, said Wednesday that he had not seen a copy of the lawsuit and declined to comment on specifics.

The association is a group of drivers who own their own taxis but have been blocked by a moratorium from obtaining a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity to operate here.”

By placing a moratorium on CCNs,” the lawsuit states, the commission has “effectively eliminated any new competition in the taxicab industry” and forced taxi drivers to work for “one of the taxicab companies that the MTC and its commissioners have allowed to have CCN licenses.”

Seven companies have permits, protesters said. The moratorium, according to the lawsuit, was “without just cause, without due process and for no reason other than to eliminate competition for the existing cab company owners.”

Klein confirmed that there was a moratorium on new applications, pending the outcome of a market study due in August.