A taxi ride would cost up to $1 more under a proposal introduced Wednesday by Mayor Richard Daley to provide relief for Chicago cabbies suffering from the gas pump blues.
Calls from some drivers for a permanent meter increase or a 60-day surcharge were rejected in favor of an approach that allows cabbies to charge more whenever fuel prices skyrocket — such as now.
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“We think this is fair,” Daley said.
Under the mayor’s plan, cabbies could charge an extra 50 cents per ride by posting a sign whenever the price of gas in the Chicago area stays at $2.70 a gallon or higher for seven straight business days. An average price of $3.20 or more for seven days would trigger the $1 add-on.
The surcharge would be tied to the Chicago prices listed on the American Automobile Association’s daily price report at www.fuelgaugereport.com. On Wednesday, the site reported the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded stood at $3.349 a gallon. The price was also more than $3 a gallon in February.
The extra charges would be lowered accordingly with gas-price drops that last for seven days.
Though the proposed system could be ripe for abuse, Consumer Services Commissioner Norma Reyes insisted rogue drivers would be kept in check. City Hall has about 50 inspectors to police the city’s 6,900 licensed cabs.
Violators would risk fines ranging from $100 to $500 and suspension or revocation of their chauffeur’s licenses, Reyes said.
Under a current system that is cumbersome and time-consuming, cabbies must gather a sufficient number of signatures on petitions to trigger a hearing into a proposed rate increase, with no guarantee they will win City Council approval.
Cabbie George Kasp, a 35-year veteran who has witnessed firsthand the wild fluctuation in gas prices, said he would have preferred a meter increase but was willing to settle for Daley’s proposal.
“It’s good news,” he said. “It is sufficient. It has to be. That’s all we’re being offered.”
The average Chicago cabbie has 22 fares a day, Reyes said. Kasp said he typically has about 30, but he wouldn’t expect to score an additional $30 a day if Daley’s proposal becomes law.
“Better than half the people would just deduct off the tip,” he predicted.
Roosevelt Franklin, who has been driving a cab off and on for the last 5 years in Chicago, welcomed any relief.
“Thank God,” he said. “Finally.”
Franklin said he spends at least $75 a day for gas and prefers to idle at Midway Airport.
“On a slow day, you can’t even look for a fare. You have to sit in a line to make decent money with the gas prices so high,” Franklin said.
Even sympathetic passengers weren’t excited at the prospect of higher cab prices.
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The increase “is fair in the sense cabdrivers earn their living driving a car,” said Judi Zink, who lives in the Austin neighborhood but commutes downtown for work everyday.
“It’s tough on the consumer, but maybe it’s our fault. We consume oil,” said Zink, who said she can’t take public transportation or walk to her business appointments. “I guess I will just have to bite the bullet.”
Megan Wiegand, 24, likewise said she would be stuck paying the increase when she jumps in a cab at least five times a week to make it to work on time downtown. She lived in New York before moving to Chicago, and while she doesn’t think public transportation is dependable she also doesn’t think cabbies deserve the extra fee.
“The tips in Chicago for cabdrivers are much better than in New York,” Wiegand said. “Cabdrivers may get a dollar tip out East, so I think their tips should go towards the higher gas prices.”
Reyes said her department would monitor the average gas price on a daily basis.
“We will keep track of the cost of the gasoline; the consumer doesn’t have to do that,” she said. “We will send out advisories.”
She urged local newspapers and radio stations to disseminate the information so taxi riders are kept current.
Seattle has a similar surcharge system, officials said.
Riders who think they are being charged improperly should call 311 and a city inspector would investigate, Reyes said. But she was imprecise on how her department would monitor the thousands of cabs on city streets.
“We will come up with a system,” she said. “We have the ability to come up with a system to police this. If it doesn’t work, we will go back and look at it.”
The surcharge measure could go into effect as early as April if it wins quick City Council approval.
The new proposal also would increase penalties for taxi drivers guilty of violating various rules and regulations governing cab operations. Fines would rise from a current range of $50 to $750 to $75 to $1,000. Licenses also could be revoked.
Under another provision, a cabbie charged with a violent crime on duty would risk license suspension until innocence or guilt is determined in court.
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