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Assembly Member Proposes Sweeping Changes in Taxi RegulationOrdinance would increase number of cab permits issuedRelated Content
ANCHORAGE - Have you ever had trouble getting a cab? The answer could depend on where you live. One Anchorage Assemblywoman is proposing sweeping changes to the way cabs are regulated in our city with the aim of putting more of them on the streets. There’s plenty of traffic in downtown Eagle River but there’s one kind of car you rarely see, it’s a cab. Eagle River doesn’t have cab service, and for people like Robb Blake, who owns a jewelry store there, that’s a problem. “It’s twelve miles each way, so they aren’t going to come unless they are desperate,” said Blake, talking about attempts to get an Anchorage cab to make the trip north. “I’ve done it myself just to see if they’d come, and they didn’t.” Assembly member Debbie Ossiander said there are less than 200 cab permits for the entire municipality; she said that’s not enough. “I think the answer is to just add more vehicles out there so that people's needs can be met,” Ossiander said. Ossiander will introduce a proposal to the Assembly on Tuesday that would make big changes to the way cabs are regulated in Anchorage, including allowing more of them. It would authorize the municipality to issue ten new cab permits every year for the next ten years. In addition, a special permit would allow for a new type of cab service that would work exclusively at night to pick up patrons when the bars get out. But some people wonder whether more cabs are necessary -- including many drivers. “There’s not enough business to add more cabs,” said long time driver Jeff Bender. “I’m making less money than I did eight years ago.” Bender was one of a long line of drivers waiting for passengers at the Anchorage Airport. Carl Guerra was another. “If you put more cabs on the road, the whole industry is going to be too diluted, you won’t be able to make any money,” said Guerra. Another group that is likely to protest the proposal are the people who currently own permits. Right now the law allows those to be sold on the open market and they fetch top dollar. Ossiander said the most recent permit sold went for over $100,000 dollars. Under her plan those sales would be banned in ten years, enough time, she says, to allow the permits to depreciate. |
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CabIt said on Wednesday, May 1 at 3:45 PM
Adding more permits to "add more jobs" is like saying we'll open up 10 more WalMarts & McDonalds and really ensure people make close to nothing for a living instead of knowing when to say there really are ENOUGH cabs on the roads as is. How about you call a cab tonight and then you let me know if they tell you they are so busy or don't have enough cabs out that you have to wait an hour. Oh wait, that doesn't happen here because it's not true. If Eagle River is complaining about never having any cabs out there (what is it like the same 2 people complaining or what!?) how about the bar owners and the 2 complaining cab calling people shell out the money to have 1 full time cab out there?
119865871Raven33 said on Tuesday, Feb 12 at 8:40 AM
More permits means more jobs. Start taking and keeping cars from repeat DUI offenders and the taxi business will pick up. If you let your neighbor borrow your car, you'd better make sure to check to see if they have a drivers license first because you should lose your car for letting a repeat offender use it.
113355102Bob Ransom said on Monday, Feb 11 at 11:37 PM
I just saw your 10p report about out going assembly person Ossinander's proposal for more Taxi's. You mistakenly reported Eagle River and Chugiak have NO cab service. This is untrue, they do have cab service, I've driven cab off and on since 1979, and I have serviced that part of town whenever dispatched to ER. I even drove for Eagle Cab back in the 80's and made no money because theres no business there. Bottom line you falsely reported they have no service while reality is they do have service. thank you
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