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Jul 31, 2007 11:31 am US/Central
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Some Cab Drivers Stay Parked To Protest Low Fares
Cabbies Say Fares Haven't Kept Up With Insurance, Gas Prices
by Kristyn Hartman
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Chicago cabbies on Tuesday were being urged to leave their taxis parked in protest of low fares, but many cab companies reported business as usual.
As CBS 2's Kristyn Hartman reports, the cabbies who are sitting out are angry about the city's failure to approve a fare hike.
"No, I will not be driving, for the sake of solidarity," said taxi driver Sohail Babar.
But many others on Tuesday were still driving. Several Chicago cab companies told CBS 2 that only a few drivers did not report in on Tuesday, and for the most part it was business as usual.
I just called up several Chicago cab companies to check up and see how the strike was going. Every one pretty much said that only a few drivers didn't report in today, and for the most part it is business as usual.
At 4:30 a.m., about five taxis in a row were seen passing the intersection of Diversey Parkway and Sheridan Road -- volume that is about typical for the time and place.
But earlier Tuesday at the Chicago Carriage lot, there are usually 100 to 150 cabs out on the road, but on Tuesday morning, there were less than 10 out. The cabbies who were not working left their cars in the lot.
The drivers want a fare increase to offset insurance costs and high gas prices. The last fare hike came in 2005.
The demonstration is also to raise awareness about tickets drivers say they receive just to generate revenue to the city.
Taxis currently charge $2.25 for the flag pull and 20 cents each additional ninth of a mile.
A second passenger costs you $1 and you now pay 50 cents for every additional passenger beyond three.
Some drivers say $3 a flag pull would help them to make ends meet.
"We have to show an example. We did not want this to happen," said taxi driver Eugene Frimpong. "We had a press conference about it a month or two ago, and we didn't want this to happen. It looked very bad for us, and it looked very bad for the city. This is a city that will pay for the Olympic Games in the future."
The drivers' demand for a fare increase comes at a time when customer complaints about cabs are on the rise. The Department of Consumer Services logged more than 5,000 complaints about drivers during the first half of 2007, compared to 7,400 complaints in all of 2006.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)