The security leaders raised the issue this week before Metro’s Transportation Licensing Commission. They said drivers regularly gather in parking areas and near entrances, sometimes impeding traffic and potentially obstructing emergency vehicles.

Dale Duhl, senior security manager at the Grand Ole Opry House, told commissioners that a ride of less than 1.5 miles to Music Valley Drive had cost some customers $150 or more. He warned that congestion could prevent fire trucks or ambulances from reaching the property during an emergency.

Richard Siegelman, Opry Mills’ director of security, said the drivers involved in the complaints were not licensed taxi operators and sometimes ignored requests to move.

Metro Transportation Licensing Director Richard Rooker said the department’s enforcement staff cannot arrest people on the privately owned properties. The locations complicate enforcement even though Tennessee law now makes operating an unlicensed taxi a misdemeanor. The change, enacted last year, allows Metro police to issue citations and potentially arrest drivers suspected of operating without a license.

The security officials said stronger enforcement could help protect visitors and keep access routes clear. Duhl urged the commission and property representatives to work together before the situation escalates and someone is hurt.