Bangor councilors adopt taxicab relief measures

BANGOR – Members of Bangor’s taxicab community got a boost from the City Council on Wednesday when councilors authorized a series of measures aimed at aiding the industry, which has been struggling for months because of rising gasoline prices.

The measures, adopted in a series of unanimous votes, were the product of a series of sometimes heated committee meetings with cabdrivers, taxi company owners and combinations thereof.

“It had become a contentious issue,” Councilor Dan Tremble said during the meeting, adding that the tension was not between the cab industry and the city but among the various factions within the taxi community.

“This became a much more complex issue than any of us thought it would be,” Tremble said, calling the city’s plan for dealing with the issue “a reasonable solution.

” … I think the [approach the city has taken] must be a very good one because nobody seems to like it at all,” he quipped.

For the short term, councilors approved a new fuel surcharge and increases in the maximum rates cabs can charge, the first such increase since 1999, when gasoline cost $1.36 a gallon.

The increases will remain in effect until next April, by which time a special task force established Wednesday will have explored some of the longer-term issues facing the industry.

The fee increases, which take effect 10 days after Monday night’s vote, come more than two months after gasoline prices began to spike in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina followed quickly by Hurricane Rita.

For cabdrivers, the council authorized a $1 fuel surcharge. The surcharge is to be collected at the drivers’ discretion.

Fuel prices have a direct bearing on cabdrivers’ take-home pay because most earn 40 percent to 60 percent of what’s on the meter, plus tips, minus gas.

For the industry as a whole, the council approved increases in the maximum amounts that can be charged on the meters.

The flag fee, or charge for the first one-sixth of a mile, will increase from $1.30 to $1.50, and the rate for every one-sixth of a mile beyond will increase from 30 cents to 35 cents. The maximum hourly rate for waiting will double from $10 to $20.

The task force established Wednesday will comprise representatives from the taxicab industry, the riding public, the city’s police department and Bangor International Airport. A member of the City Council will chair the group.

The group has until April to complete its study, a process that will culminate with a report and recommendations.

The study will involve looking at city regulations regarding rates and the minimum quality of services the industry should provide, including equipment condition and customer service.