"Mayor's Performance Review Takes Aim At Tulsa Airport Cab Service"

Thursday, February 13, 2003

Mayor's Performance Review Takes Aim At Airport Cab Service
Reporter Diane Harrigan
KTUL-TV, Tulsa (OK)


Tulsa - From high fares to dirty cabs and some bad attitudes, taxi service
at Tulsa's busiest airport is under fire.

First impressions are everything to a city and a report by the Mayor's
performance review team says airport taxis fail to show out-of-towners
Tulsa's best side.

The biggest complaint starts at the curb at Tulsa International Airport.
Every cab company charges what it wants. A NewsChannel 8 producer headed to
1st and Boston from the airport -- a six minute ride -- costing 26 dollars.
Then, a reporter took a ride to the same destination -- 25 dollars. Taxi
users see different airport fares.

And signs are deceiving. One read the minimum for a Fine cab is just 15
dollars, but Fine cab went out of business two years ago.

"When a customer comes in my cab, they'll look at the sign and say 'Fine cab
is 15 dollars, how come I can't pay 15 dollars,'" says taxi driver Bill
Steinmetz.

The minimum fare charged at the airport is now twenty dollars, but
out-of-towners would never know it.

And as we showed it to drivers, they agree, a uniform pricing code is
desperately needed, but that's not all.

"They got us at the very end of each concourse only and there's only two
taxis on each end," says Huey Lynn.

Drivers say no one can see them.

"That looks bad for Tulsa," says driver Michael Koko. "Come on guys, I can't
go 'hey, you need a cab man? Yeah, the taxi's right here', I can't do that."

They say drivers are also in desperate need of some respect.

The team that put the report together recommends the abolishment of minimum
taxi fares. But, drivers sometimes have to wait for business, so they
support a higher rate. They just want it to be the same for all five cab
companies.

The city regulates taxi service at TIA. Right now, the airport says they
welcome any improvements.

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