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Cab owners say Boston effort to clean the air violates federal clean-air laws
By adamg on Tue, 03/31/2009 - 8:51am
A group of Boston cab owners has sued the city over its requirement that all cabs be hybrids by 2015, charging the requirement to buy only new hybrids would put them out of business and violates federal clean-air and car-mileage laws.
The cabbies, who say they collectively own 8% of the city's current fleet, say they are not opposed to hybrids in general, but that forcing them to buy only new vehicles, rather than letting them buy used ones - or conventional cars with nearly as good fuel efficiency - will make it economically unfeasible for them to continue driving. Also, federal clean-air and fuel-economy laws bar states or cities from requiring tougher regulations, they charge.
- Read the entire complaint.
- Globe story - includes interviews with cab owners.
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Comments
stupid requirement
mandating mileage and/or emissions limits, sure. But why pick a technology, especially 6 years out? For example, what if electric cabs are practical by then?
Yes, the hybrid-exclusive policies need to go
The tax incentives and the special parking at IKEA and Logan are all reserved for hybrid vehicles. Because apparently a hybrid Yukon or Highlander (low or mid 20s MPG) is doing more for clean air than a non-hybrid Fit or Yaris or Smartcar (in the 30s).
Likewise, whyyyyy are cabs traditionally Crown Vics that guzzle gas and handle like ass (and only fit three people in the back)? I can put three people comfortably in the back seat of my Fit. Ooh, or fold down the seats in various configurations so that I can haul, say, a 6-foot bookcase and two adults (in addition to driver) with fastened seatbelts. Fit cabs all around!
The Hello Taxi Scion cabs are pretty cool. Plus, business names don't get any cooler than HELLO TAXI!
Hello Taxi!
Take me to Planet Pizza!
Crown Vics
Police package Crown Vics can be bought cheap used, and there is a lot of similarity of requirements between cruisers and cabs.
I recently asked one of the Cambridge cabbies driving a hybrid about it. He said he liked it, but that he missed the power of a Crown Vic.
The powah
Nothing can lurch heavily to a zoom for three feet and then slam back to a stop quite like a Crown Vic. Vroom! (thud)
CV FTW
Heh. My memory is really fuzzy (I was preoccupied with a meeting I was going to), but what little I recall... One of the examples he gave was of driving up a certain hill in town. The Crown Vic would power right up it, while the hybrid sounded closer to a crawl. I think he also said that the Crown Vic handled better or had more power for a certain maneuver he sometimes had to make, perhaps a class of lane change.
If they ever build a hybrid (or otherwise green) police cruiser that officers say they like to drive as their personal vehicles as well, I will be very tempted to get a used one at auction.
Don't get me started.....
Arggghhhh, don't get me started on this, especially the tax breaks (not deductions, credits!) for hybrids. I just don't like the idea of taxes helping someone buy a nice shiny new car.