Floating Fuel Surcharge Added To Philadelphia Taxicab Fares
By Mike Dunn
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia Parking Authority, which oversees taxi operations in the city, today voted to add a fluctuating surcharge to the cost of riding a cab in Philadelphia.
Taxi owners, who say they have been suffering under rising fuel prices, are pleased.
The Parking Authority board has imposed temporary gas surcharges in the past -- most recently last summer.
But now, the board has approved what amounts to a constant surcharge for taxi rides based on the average cost of gasoline in the region for the previous month.
"Right now we are at, based on April's prices, $4.04 per gallon for regular gasoline, and a surcharge of $1.20 would be warranted," says Taxi and Limousine Division director Jim Nye.
So, starting May 1st, a $1.20 surcharge is added to the base fare of $2.70 and the distance charge of 23 cents per 1/10th mile.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Despite Nye's quote, the fuel surcharge for May was set at $1.25 per trip.]
See the full schedule of Philadelphia taxicab fuel surcharges (.pdf format)
Nye says the surcharge will fluctuate monthly, depending on the average price per gallon of gasoline, and the full schedule of surcharge rates -- which mirrors the schedule used by the state Public Utility Commission, which oversees taxis elsewhere it the state -- can be found at the Authority's web site, philapark.org (link above).
