Rising fuel prices justified a 12 per cent hike in Calgary cab fares, city council decided yesterday, coming as little surprise to regular cab hailers.
Roger Maltais, 38, takes a cab up to three times a week for groceries or any time he needs to get somewhere and has had a “beer or two.”
He figured a rate hike wasn’t far off as the price of petrol continues its upward trajectory with no signs of falling off any time soon.
“They have to make a buck too, right,” Maltais said. “Everything’s so expensive in Calgary anyway, so it was just a matter of time.”
Passing a motion set forward by Ald. Ray Jones, as early as this summer city taxi’s will now start their meters at $3.40 and it will cost 20 cents for every 135 metres travelled, a move Jones said should help ease the pump pain being endured by the industry after three years of stagnant rates while the price of fuel had risen 38 per cent.
The “compromise” hike falls short of what the industry wanted, said Associated Cabs president Roger Richard, but is still a good start.
“You always want more,” he said, “but this will help, for sure, because for too long our drivers have been under substantial stress due to rising fuel and maintenance costs.”
-neil.mackinnon@metronews.ca
