Unfare?
Taxi drivers push for fare increase.
The Outraged Liberal sympathizes with cab drivers, but wonders if fleet owners, who charge drivers $77 a day, are making out like bandits:
... Any increase should come with a full public accounting of where the money goes between the time you fork it over up until it reaches the medallion owner -- and what they owners do with it. If cabbies aren't seeing enough of it to make a living, the public has a right to know where the money we are spending on this government-regulated service actually goes. ...
Lewis Forman wants something for his extra fare:
... Let's face it, when was the last time you were actually in a clean taxi cab in Boston? Or a driver who knew how to get to where you live without asking 10 questions? I can tell you. The decade was the 80's. ...
Riggs says flatly: NO:
... In real cities, cab drivers don't suck goat balls, and the driver takes you where you want to go as quickly as possible. In Boston, the cab drivers are lying, thieving dickweeds who turn a five dollar cab ride into a twelve dollar tour of West Roxbury. ...
taxi bandits
Fleet owners (or, rather, medallion owners) totally are making out like bandits. Joe Keohane had a good story not too long ago on the morass that is Boston cab economics.
I had a cabbie a couple of weeks ago who told me drivers for his company get fined for buying gas from regular stations--he says the owners charge extra for gas from their own pumps, and force the drivers to buy it by keeping strict tabs on everybody's miles and gas purchases. I don't know if they all engage in these kinds of shenanigans, but when the medallion owners have all the power, a fare increase isn't going to help anybody.
Poor taxi regulation
A fee increase is laughable. Boston's taxis have to be some of the worst in any major metropolitan area. Our taxis are COMMONLY dirty and poorly maintained, have drivers that don't know the city and/or that are rude, and have drivers that either don't know, or totally disregard, the traffic laws (not to mention the safety and comfort of their passengers). Paying more for this is a joke. Although this is primarily the City's fault for not caring enough, or having the motivation, to simply xerox and enforce the NYC taxi regulations, there's no way I could stomach paying more for what we curently get. Having said that, when you do get the occasional cab where the taxi is not falling apart/filthy and the driver is pleasant, not talking on his phone the whole ride, and drives well, I usually do "increase" their fare - by giving them a big tip.
Taxi Rate Race - Major Cities
It is almost a sport, to watch all the cities raising their rates, claiming the top spot. Some observations:
1) It is very interesting to see how different cities are handling the current gas crisis. Some are raising the rates permanently, some are temporary/conditional (e.g. <$4, then x), DC went from zone to meter, some are charging "emergency fuel surcharges."
2) This race is like a horse race. Check out the comparison chart at TaxiFareFinder.com - Rate Chart. You can see that Las Vegas jumped to the top following their recent changes, but Boston with its proposed $2.75, it may claim the crown!! ...but wait! San Francisco is considering a rate much higher!! Who's gonna win?!