Boston’s cabbies are a crabby crew even on the best of days, but they’re particularly ticked off lately. The police department’s hackney division, which deals with all things taxi, has decreed that all cab drivers and operatorrs must convert their fleets to hybrids by 2015. that has, according to the Boston Metro, caused a “measure of frustration and anger among city cabbies.”
Taxi drivers are hacked about the financial ramifications of the rule. Most drive Crown Vics that can be had for amidst $6,000 and $7,500, while a new Prius from Boston auto dealer giant Herb Chambers goes for $24,585. That’s a lot of scratch for a cab driver who, thanks to out of control gas prices, is already having trouble making ends meet. It doesn’t help that the eco-friendlier cars cost more to insure, have tiny trunks and, in the cabbies’ opinions, aren’t rugged sufficient to do the job.
The city’s got no sympathy for ‘em.
“Requiring taxi cabs to go hybrid is an fundamental step in not only
improving air quality, but plus improving the quality of our taxi
fleet,” said Boston Mayor Tom Menino (known locally as Mumbles Menino). “I am confident that these new regulations will greatly improve taxi service in Boston for all residents and our many guests.” considering Boston cabs are due to retire after they turn six, Menino anticipates that 50-percent of the city’s cabs will be hybrid within two years.
The cabbies may not be happy, but they should keep in intellect that they’re not alone. In New
cab must be a hybrid by 2012. Taxi operators in San Francisco have three years to cut their emissions by 50 percent, and even officials in oil-drenched Dubai are testing hybrid cabs with an eye toward switching the city’s entire fleet.
The Boston taxi trade additionally is wicked mad that that the hybrid mandate is one of several new rules being imposed by bureaucracy-loving Beantown. The city’s told them to install credit card machines and wash their windows daily, banned them from sweatpants and T-shirts on the job and prohibited them from yakking on the phone while carrying passengers.
Boston drivers complain they’re feeling the pinch of higher fuel prices despite a recent fare hike. “We’re pleased that the drivers are going to get a meter rate increase, but we were looking for $3.00 on the mile,” says union spokesperson Donna Blythe Shaw. Someone should remind Donna that Boston’s cab rates are now higher than those in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, or Miami.
Requiring the Boston cab fleet to go all-hybrid is a great view, but not whether it’s going to financially wipe out the citizens who drive that fleet. Good job Boston, but now you’ve got to pony up some money to help your cabbies assemble the transition.
Photo by Flickr user Rishboo
Related Articles
No user responded in this post
Leave A Reply
Please Note: Comment moderation maybe active so there is no need to resubmit your comments