Some Taxis Could Get Top Treatment At DFW Airport
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Passengers leaving DFW International Airport could soon see changes to the line of taxis waiting to drive them around North Texas. Certain cab drivers may get special treatment if a new plan is approved on Thursday.
Those preferred cabs would be the ones using compressed natural gas. The fuel is better for the environment that traditional gasoline, and vehicles that take advantage of the new, more environmentally-friendly gas will be able to skip to the front of the taxi line.
The airport's goal is to help reduce emissions, although taxi cab drivers are not expected to be happy about the change. There are approximately 2,000 cabs licensed to operate at the airport. Only 137 of them use compressed natural gas.
The Association of Taxi Operators asked airport officais to phase in the policy, because it costs drivers about $13,000 to convert their vehicles to use compressed natural gas. But a committee approved the policy without the desired phase-in.
Airport officials tried to enforce the same policy in 2009, but cab drivers fought back.
There is an airport board meeting is scheduled on Thursday, where members could now approve the policy for good.
