City Panel Proposes 12% Taxi Fare Increase
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LOS ANGELES — A City Council committee proposed this week that taxi fares be increased an average of 12% in Los Angeles, in part because of rising gas prices.
If the proposal gets final approval from the council, the fare for a typical five-mile taxi ride would increase from $9.58 to $10.70, officials said.
Council members said that if gas prices go down, the city could lower fares later.
Councilman Mike Hernandez said the increase is justified because the city has not allowed taxi fares to keep up with inflation. “We haven’t had a rate increase for the last 14 years,” he said.
The council panel also recommended that all city taxi franchises be put up for competitive bidding, with new franchises to be awarded some time after this summer’s Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles.
The proposal for new bidding would include incentives to taxi firms that provide ultra-low-emission vehicles that run on alternative fuels.
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