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Want to drive up the cost of a cab fare? Get government involved.
New city cab ordinance goes into effect today 12:24 p.m. CDT, July 1, 2012 An ordinance tightening taxi regulations and making a $1 passenger fuel surcharge permanent goes into effect today. The City Council passed the ordinance in January in attempt to clean up Chicago's taxi industry. Cabbies will now be restricted to working 12 hours a day, excluding breaks. Cab companies are required to keep more detailed records regarding drivers and their schedules. Companies also will be held responsible for driving violations. The city will also publish a weekly list of suspended, denied and revoked drivers. [So is a tourist from Los Angeles really expected to read this list and avoid hiring a Chicago cab driver with a revoked license? Yea, sure, but don't tell that to the government nannies on the Chicago council] Passengers will see a few changes as well. A permanent $1 fee will replace a temporary fuel surcharge added to each ride. Drivers can now charge a $50 fee if a rider vomits in their vehicle. Cabbies plan to strike Monday because new regulations increase the cost of a driver leasing a cab, without any corresponding increase in fares. The group calling the strike, the United Taxi Drivers Community Council, represents only 2,000 of the 14,000 cabbies in Chicago, however. Last week, Fayez Khozindar, chairman of the United Taxi Drivers, said cabbies plan to refrain from taking fares Monday from 6 to 11 a.m. across Chicago, Khozindar said. He said he hopes half the city's drivers will take part and that more will join on subsequent Mondays. chicagobreaking@tribune.com |