Longview bumps up taxi surcharge
Friday, September 23, 2005 8:28 AM PDT
By Evan Caldwell
Printable version
E-mail this articleOne area taxi owner called Longview's 10-cent temporary surcharge "a slap in the face."
Victor Ortiz, owner of Bridgeview Taxi in Rainier, which serves Longview, said the surcharge wouldn't help his business recover losses from the skyrocketing gas prices. Instead he urged the City Council on Thursday to permanently raise fares, not impose a temporary surcharge, an increase in the charge per mile.
Longview Mayor Mark McCrady said at the meeting that he and the council thought the taxi companies were looking for temporary relief. McCrady and the council apologized for the confusion and said they will start gathering more information to draft a resolution to raise fares.
"We understand now that the real issue is that it might be better to adjust the rates," McCrady said.
The city regulates the fares taxi companies can charge, which are $2.50 per person, $1.80 per mile and 50 cents for each passenger 12 and older. Ortiz and Clarence Williams, owner of Owl Taxi in Longview, want the rates to be similar to Portland's, which are about $2.50 per person and $2.10 per mile.
In the meantime, the council approved a 10-cent increase in the per mile charge to $1.90 effective Oct. 1 until Dec. 1.
Ortiz and Williams said they are falling behind the industry and "are just trying to stay in business."
Ortiz and Williams first informed the council about their request to increase fares at the Sept. 8 council meeting where they were hoping for a 30-cent increase.
Now, city officials estimate a permanent fare increase likely wouldn't be approved until December. In the meantime, the city council asked Williams and Ortiz to gather information from other regional taxi companies to compare fares.
Williams said his Owl Taxi drivers have had nights, where after a 12-hour shift, they take home $20 in pay.
"We just got to hang in there until we get it resolved I guess," he said.
Victor said his situation was more bleak.
"I just might as well go out of business," he said.
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