The Santa Monica City Council has recently approved the transfer of all taxi franchise rights from Metro Cab Co. LLC to All Yellow Taxi Inc.  Metro Cab is one of five franchisees authorized to provide taxi service with in the city of Santa Monica.

Metro Cab now in debt is looking to sell it’s assets to All Yellow Taxi for $2.8 million.  The company is authorized to operate 66 taxis.

In 2010, the city of Santa Monica awarded taxicab contracts to the top 5 rated companies based on proposals received for a taxicab RFP (issue date 1.14.10).  Metro Cab was the highest rated taxi company.  The evaluation criteria included proof of financial viability, business plan and other factors.  Metro Cab scored 79.04 based on a 100 point scale.

All Yellow Taxi also submitted a proposal for the RFP and was ranked sixth.  As a result they were not awarded a taxicab franchise.

At the Tuesday meeting, other competing taxi company owners requested City Council to re-open the bidding process for Metro Cab’s franchise.

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City Council is considering proposals to amend the city’s Taxicab Code which mandates rules and regulations for Wichita taxi companies. The Municipal Code for taxicabs has generally remained untouched since it’s adoption in 1984.

Wichita Taxicab Code Proposals

• Reassign responsibility to enforce the Municipal Code:  An amendment to Chapter 3.84 of the Municipal Codes seeks to transfer responsibility from Wichita Transit to the Department of Finance.  The Assistant Director of Finance would act as the Taxicab Enforcement Officer.
• Improve Customer Service:  Wichita taxicab drivers will be required to attend a Customer Service training course once every two years which will be conducted by the city’s Convention and Tourism Bureau (Go Wichita).
• Improve the Condition of Taxicabs:  Vehicles will be inspected semiannually or two times per year.
• Cost Recovery: Raise fees for licensing and inspection of Wichita taxis which will allow the city to recover a larger percentage of the administrative costs.

Implementation of the proposed changes to the Wichita Taxicab Code is scheduled for July 1, 2012.

The city of Anaheim recently awarded three new taxi franchises.  The exclusive contracts were issued for a ten year term and is scheduled to expire in June, 2022.  The city’s existing franchisees were all awarded new contracts.

The current Anaheim Taxicab Franchises are scheduled to expire on May 15, 2012.

Anaheim Taxicab Franchise
A total of 4 proposals were submitted for the Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide taxi service within the city of Anaheim.  Proposals were rated based on a 100 point scale.  The three highest rated proposers were awarded contracts.

Yellow Cab of Greater O.C. – 90.5 Points
California Yellow – 85.5 Points
A Taxi Cab – 78.75 Points
24/7 Taxi Cab – 62.25 Points

A total of 255 Anaheim taxis are permitted to operate with in the city.  Yellow Cab of Greater Orange County will operate up to 155 taxis and the remaining permits will be split among the final two Anaheim taxi companies.

Rating Criteria for Anaheim Taxicab RFP – Issue Date 3/5/2012
Proposals were objectively rated based on the following criteria.  24/7 Taxi Cab had the lowest score and was not awarded a taxicab franchise.

- Company experience:  10 pts.
- Management experience:  10 pts.
- Financial capacity and stability:  15 pts.
- Management and Quality Assurance:  30 pts.
- Facilities and Equipment:  25 pts.
- Fleet sustainability:  5 pts.
- Fleet accessibility – 5 pts.

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A 3rd District Judge recently ruled that the city which awarded exclusive walk-up taxi contracts at Salt Lake City International Airport in 2011, failed to provide the plaintiffs including Yellow Cab and Ute Cab a full opportunity for administrative appeals of the bidding process.

Contracts were awarded to both Ace Taxi Service of Cleveland, OH and to Total Transit of Glendale, AZ to provide on-demand taxi service from the SLC Airport.

The new ruling will effectively prevent SLC Airport from implementing the new taxi contract until litigated in court.

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The Cincinnati Taxicab Advisory Commission has recently released a new report which includes recommendations to improve the safety and reliability of Cincinnati taxis.  The report is scheduled to be reviewed by the City Council’s Rules and Government Operations Committee on Monday.

Taxicab Proposals to be Implemented Before the World Choir Games include

• Increase the meter rate.  The last taxicab fare increase was in 2006.

Flag Drop:  $4.00
Distance:  $2.00 per mile ($0.25 per 1/8 mile).
Traffic Delay and Wait Time:  $25.00 per hour.

• Accept customer feedback via the city’s customer service hotline and website.
• Standardize the display of company and driver information in backseat of taxicab.
• Display Customer Bill of Rights.
• Increase the number of permanent and part-time taxi stands.

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Starting May 1, 2012, the Philadelphia Parking Authority which regulates Philadelphia taxi companies will initiate a floating fuel surcharge for all medallion taxicabs.  The new fuel surcharge was in response to a proposal submitted by the Taxi Workers Alliance of Pennsylvania (TWA).

The Philadelphia taxicab fuel surcharge will be calculated on a monthly basis on the 3rd Friday of each month and will be determined by the average price of regular gasoline for the Philadelphia area as stated on the Fuel Gauge Report website.

In addition, the new resolution also authorizes an Airport Transfer Service charge for all taxi rides to and from the Philadelphia International Airport.  Starting May 1, the airport charge is scheduled to be $2.75 per trip and will be calculated on a monthly basis similar to the floating fuel surcharge.

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Two competing Portland limousine operators recently filed a federal lawsuit against the City in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon over city rules which the plaintiffs say restrict competition for the sole benefit of Portland’s taxi companies.

The federal lawsuit was filed by the Institute for Justice which is representing the plaintiffs TownCar.com and Fiesta Limousine.

In 2009, the city passed new regulations which required minimum fares for Portland limousine companies which provide transportation to and from the Portland Airport and downtown.  The new rules mandated a minimum fare of atleast $50 for airport transportation.  In addition, operators are required to charge atleast 35% more than competing taxicab companies for rides within the city limits.  All limousine rides require a pre-arrangement of atleast 60 minutes prior to pick-up.

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Metro Cab was recently awarded an exclusive contract to provide on-demand taxi service from the Gerald R. Ford Intl Airport.  The contract is scheduled for a five-year term and includes the option for two one-year renewals.

Metro Cab of Grand Rapids was the sole proposer for the November 2011 Request for Proposal issued by the GRR Airport.

Metro Cab’s current agreement with Ford Airport is scheduled to expire at the end of this month.

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The Nevada Transportation Authority has recently rejected an appeal to reverse a previous decision by the Nevada Taxicab Authority which awarded additional permanent medallions to all of the competing Las Vegas taxi companies.  The appeal was filed by two unions representing the Southern Nevada taxicab drivers.

The unanimous decision by the Transportation Authority to reject the appeal found that the allocation request process was not flawed.

In August 2011, the Nevada Taxicab Authority which regulates Las Vegas taxis approved the issuance of 6 new permanent medallions for each of the competing Las Vegas taxi companies.  In addition the hours of some part-time medallions were extended for use during the weekends.

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The Maryland Board of Public Works has recently awarded an exclusive airport taxi contract to BWI Taxi to provide on-demand taxi service from the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.  The contract is scheduled for a five-year term and is expected to generate more than $12 million dollars in revenue to the state.

BWI Taxi Management Inc has held the concession at BWI Marshall for about the last 15 years.  Over the last four years, the taxicab company had received multiple one-year extensions.  Last year, BWI Taxi proposed to pay $6M for a four year contract.

Six propsals were received for the new Request for Proposal (RFP) and 2 companies failed to complete the application process.

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