BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The cost of taking a taxi from the Burlington airport is expected to be more predictable following new changes this week.
Ibrahim Aden has driven a cab for 14 years and says the new metered fares make sense. “Now, I believe everything correct,” he said.
The city’s Vehicle for Hire Licensing Board raised the prices at the beginning of this week after receiving numerous complaints from customers.
“Complaints were around the use of flat fares that were being bargained between the drivers and the riders and the unavailability of cabs late night when planes come into Burlington,” said City Councilor Mark Barlow, I-North.
Now, all drivers are using their meters instead of agreeing to their own flat rates, something that Aden says caused significant confusion with customers in the past. “If I say $30, maybe someone behind me say $40, $50. Now, everything is on the meter, we all the same,” he said.
The fares were raised to similar levels of comparable cities in the region. There is also a surcharge for late-night driving to encourage more drivers to be there when the last flights come in. “We’re trying to incentivize it anyways and make sure that drivers have a livable wage and an economically viable sort of business model. And so hopefully this rate change will help with that,” Barlow said.
Aden says in the first week with the new fares, he’s received zero complaints. “I don’t see any happening. That was good idea, I am so happy,” he said.
Officials are also exploring making credit and debit card use available, as well as electronic smartphone metering.