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Board Raises Gate Cap and Meter
Despite Absence of Health Plan
In late 2002, the Board of Supervisors raised the city's cap on gates, increased meter rates and promised cab drivers a health care plan. To put some teeth in the promise, the board provided that if the health plan was not enacted by Jan. 1, 2004, the cap would go down from $91.50 to $85. The deadline was later extended to Sept. 1, 2004.
Although the deadline for the health plan was not met, cab companies never reduced their gates to comply with the lower cap. Now the Board has raised the cap back up to $91.50 and tacked 25 cents onto the flag drop, while drivers are still awaiting the promised plan.
The gate cap increase provides an unfair reward to cab companies that have been breaking the law. Any drop in ridership or tips, even if quite small, will eat up the meter increase - and the rate hike will make it that much harder to go back to the public for another increase if one is needed to fund the health plan.
What's more, the board's gate-and-meter resolution lacks an enforceable deadline for enacting the health plan. It merely sets a target date of April 1 for the Taxi Commission to present a proposal to the board, with no negative consequences if a plan doesn't come forth.
It could have been worse: the Taxi Commission recommended raising the gate cap to $95, with a 75-cent increase in the flag drop. The board thankfully rejected those recommendations.
But all in all, the board took a big step backwards from its previous commitment to a health care plan.
Let's hope that once April 1 rolls around, the board keeps its earlier word and wastes no time in enacting the promised plan.