By Samuel Gonzalez
Taxi users in one of the largest cities in the United States have already begun to face a new expense when paying for their trips. Local authorities approved a temporary surcharge related to the increase in gasoline prices, a measure that can add up to $3 dollars to the final cost of the trip and that is part of a series of adjustments planned for the coming months.
The city of Chicago put into effect the so-called “Taxi Fuel Surcharge”an extraordinary charge that seeks to compensate for the increase in operating costs faced by drivers. The amount will not be the same for all passengers, since It will depend on the value that the taximeter shows before taxes, tolls or other additional charges.
According to the rules established by the city:
- trips with a defective rate at $20 dollars they will have a $1 dollar surcharge.
- When the cost of tour is between $20.01 and $40 dollars, the additional charge will be 2 dollars.
- For their part, those who register a fee greater than $40 dollars They must pay the maximum allowed, which is $3 dollars per trip.
The authorities also ordered that Drivers place a visible notice inside their vehicles to inform passengers of this measure. The document must be displayed along with the official fare information, so that users know the current charges before completing the tour.
Besides, The city recalled that no taxi driver can apply a fuel surcharge without authorization. Charging this type of fee outside of official provisions is considered illegal.
However, the increase related to gasoline will not be the only change that will affect those who use taxis in Chicago. As of July 1, new surcharges and adjustments to the service rate structure will come into effect..
Among the modifications, the creation of a “Peak Hour Surcharge,” which will add $2.50 to rides requested between 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.. There will also be implemented a nightly surcharge of $1 for trips made between 8:00 at night and 6:00 in the morning.
Another of the announced changes will impact those who cause significant damage or dirt inside the units. The so-called “Vomit cleanup fee” will increase from $50 to $100.
The city will also update the way general rates are calculated. At the moment, Taxis use a combination of distance traveled and elapsed time, plus a tainted fare of $3.25.. Although that initial charge will remain unchanged, the cost for each additional ninth of a mile will increase, going from 25 to 31 cents.
Likewise, the rate associated with travel time will be modified. Passengers will pay 31 cents for every forty five seconds of travelinstead of the current 20 cents per 36 seconds.
“The revised meter rates and related changes reflect increasing operating costs and current economic conditions,” the city of Chicago said in an official notice.
Authorities explained that this is the first major adjustment to taxi fares in approximately 10 years. The measure seeks to help drivers face increasingly high expenses, including those related to fuel, as well as competition from transportation platforms such as Uber and Lyft.
Despite the announced changes, some rates will remain unchanged. These include charges for additional passengers, electronic payments and taxi rides from the airport.
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