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Pocono News Section
State Takes Taxi Companies for a Ride
State Takes Taxi Companies for a Ride - Tuesday, May 13, 2008 at 5:01PM EST
Reported by: Laurie Monteforte
Tuesday, May 13, 2008 @ 05:01pm EST
EAST STROUDSBURG - Every time Daniel Wade starts his Taxi, it costs a little more and we all know why.
"Gas is everything. Without gas you don't go anywhere. You don't do anything," said Wade.
He works for WGM Taxi in East Stroudsburg. The company and the drivers share the gas bills.
The cost on the taxi meters hasn't changed in about six years but the cost of gas, that's another story.
WGM tries to roll with the gas price punches. RIders pay a fuel surcharge. This month it's 95 cents per ride.
But it's not as simple as it sounds to pay the bills. No matter how much it costs to fill up, the taxi company can only increase the fuel surcharge once a month and state officials tell them exactly how much they can charge.
"You're always running a month behind because you can't foresee what the gas prices are going to be a month ahead," complained WGM Manager Christina Martin.
She explained she needs a lot more than the state allows. "I'd say maybe a dollar twenty five or a dollar thirty five," she said.
It also frustrates passengers who have to pay more to get around.
Wade said, "Most of them definitely have a problem with it."
Daniel and the other drivers have problems supporting their families. And if the state doesn't change the way it regulates transportation, some taxi companies will have problems keeping their doors open.
It's not just the gas prices that cause problems for taxi companies. The cost for them to stay certified has tripled recently, and car insurance rates have also gone up.
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