So theres a story about cab fare caps in our local paper... It figures the ones bitch about not being able to charge more than the cap fare is one dicking with their prices when they see fit....
WATERVILLE Companies could set own taxi fees
By Morning Sentinel staff
02/16/2008
enlarge Morning Sentinel staff photo
IN THE CAB: A P.T. Cab Co. taxi makes its way down Main Street in Waterville on Friday afternoon. The Waterville City Council is considering letting taxi companies set their own fees.
WATERVILLE -- Joe's Taxi owner Joe Schiazone thinks the city should stop having authority to set taxi fees.
Mayor Paul R. LePage and City Manager Michael Roy agree with him.
LePage said the city started setting fees many years ago.
"Other communities did it and the city started doing it and, personally, I think it's an invasion of private enterprise," LePage said Friday.
Like Schiazone, he thinks cab companies should name their price.
"I think with five taxi companies in town, the free market will take care of it," LePage said. "They all want business, so they all can set a rate and beat each other to be lower. The one who gets the best service with the best fees gets to have the most business."
City councilors on Tuesday night will consider changing the city ordinance regulating taxi fees so that cab companies set rates. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at The Center downtown and will be preceded by a public hearing on a community development block grant at 6:45 p.m. That hearing is required by state law before the city may submit an application for a housing rehabilitation grant.
In the taxi matter, Schiazone said Friday that costs for gasoline, vehicle repairs, unemployment, workers compensation and other items are increasing and he believes the market should determine what patrons pay. In Rockland, where he also runs cabs, he charges a flat $5 fee for any ride in town. He said he does not yet know what he'll charge people in this area if councilors approve allowing cab owners to set their own rates.
"I don't know what the market will pay up there; it'll be interesting," he said.
Councilors set taxi fees, but have not updated them for about five years. Current fees are $2.25 for the first mile; 25 cents more for every additional one-fifth of a mile; $1.25 for an additional passenger; and 75 cents for help with baggage.
Schiazone told councilors at their last meeting Feb. 5 that he does not charge extra for extra people or baggage assistance. Roy and LePage said they don't think cab companies pay much attention to existing rates anyway.
Roy echoed that sentiment Friday, saying if companies set fees, the public gets some type of price protection. If the city sets rates, there is no competition, so there's no interest in lowering rates, he said.
LePage said he doesn't know why the city decided to set cab rates.
"I don't know why we ever got into it," he said. "We don't tell clothing stores how to price their clothes -- This is no different."
Students and older people are the biggest users of cabs, he said. The reason there are so many taxis in the city is that there is no public transportation here, according to LePage.
Asked whether he thinks the city will get public transportation, he said not unless the communities of Waterville, Winslow, Oakland and Fairfield do it together.
"No one could afford it," he said.
The Kennebec Valley Community Action Program provides some public van service.
In other matters, councilors will consider overriding a veto LePage signed Thursday on a 4-3 vote they took Feb. 5 to waive foreclosure on property off West River Road containing contaminated lagoons that formerly were used by a mill across the road. The property is owned by Waterville Industries Inc., of Rhode Island and councilors for the last dozen or so years have waived foreclosure because they fear liability from taking ownership of the property.
LePage, who had 10 days from the time of the vote to issue the veto, said he vetoed because he decided it's time for the city to address the issue. He said he had not vetoed it in the past because he was told progress was being made on resolving the issue.
"It's a very valuable piece of property and we want to get it back on the tax rolls," he said.
At least five councilors must vote to override LePage's veto. Roy said if that does not occur, the city will foreclose on the property and then take ownership of it.
WATERVILLE Companies could set own taxi fees
By Morning Sentinel staff
enlarge Morning Sentinel staff photoIN THE CAB: A P.T. Cab Co. taxi makes its way down Main Street in Waterville on Friday afternoon. The Waterville City Council is considering letting taxi companies set their own fees.
WATERVILLE -- Joe's Taxi owner Joe Schiazone thinks the city should stop having authority to set taxi fees.
Mayor Paul R. LePage and City Manager Michael Roy agree with him.
LePage said the city started setting fees many years ago.
"Other communities did it and the city started doing it and, personally, I think it's an invasion of private enterprise," LePage said Friday.
Like Schiazone, he thinks cab companies should name their price.
"I think with five taxi companies in town, the free market will take care of it," LePage said. "They all want business, so they all can set a rate and beat each other to be lower. The one who gets the best service with the best fees gets to have the most business."
City councilors on Tuesday night will consider changing the city ordinance regulating taxi fees so that cab companies set rates. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at The Center downtown and will be preceded by a public hearing on a community development block grant at 6:45 p.m. That hearing is required by state law before the city may submit an application for a housing rehabilitation grant.
In the taxi matter, Schiazone said Friday that costs for gasoline, vehicle repairs, unemployment, workers compensation and other items are increasing and he believes the market should determine what patrons pay. In Rockland, where he also runs cabs, he charges a flat $5 fee for any ride in town. He said he does not yet know what he'll charge people in this area if councilors approve allowing cab owners to set their own rates.
"I don't know what the market will pay up there; it'll be interesting," he said.
Councilors set taxi fees, but have not updated them for about five years. Current fees are $2.25 for the first mile; 25 cents more for every additional one-fifth of a mile; $1.25 for an additional passenger; and 75 cents for help with baggage.
Schiazone told councilors at their last meeting Feb. 5 that he does not charge extra for extra people or baggage assistance. Roy and LePage said they don't think cab companies pay much attention to existing rates anyway.
Roy echoed that sentiment Friday, saying if companies set fees, the public gets some type of price protection. If the city sets rates, there is no competition, so there's no interest in lowering rates, he said.
LePage said he doesn't know why the city decided to set cab rates.
"I don't know why we ever got into it," he said. "We don't tell clothing stores how to price their clothes -- This is no different."
Students and older people are the biggest users of cabs, he said. The reason there are so many taxis in the city is that there is no public transportation here, according to LePage.
Asked whether he thinks the city will get public transportation, he said not unless the communities of Waterville, Winslow, Oakland and Fairfield do it together.
"No one could afford it," he said.
The Kennebec Valley Community Action Program provides some public van service.
In other matters, councilors will consider overriding a veto LePage signed Thursday on a 4-3 vote they took Feb. 5 to waive foreclosure on property off West River Road containing contaminated lagoons that formerly were used by a mill across the road. The property is owned by Waterville Industries Inc., of Rhode Island and councilors for the last dozen or so years have waived foreclosure because they fear liability from taking ownership of the property.
LePage, who had 10 days from the time of the vote to issue the veto, said he vetoed because he decided it's time for the city to address the issue. He said he had not vetoed it in the past because he was told progress was being made on resolving the issue.
"It's a very valuable piece of property and we want to get it back on the tax rolls," he said.
At least five councilors must vote to override LePage's veto. Roy said if that does not occur, the city will foreclose on the property and then take ownership of it.
