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twitterASK MR. SUN:
Why don’t Vegas cabs operate in fare zones?
Friday, Oct. 30, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Sun Coverage
Mr. Sun, Why don’t Las Vegas taxicabs operate in fare zones near the Strip rather than offering metered rides? And why don’t they offer flat-fare trips to the airport? It seems this would do away with long-hauling and “meter abuse.” Shine some light for me, Mr. Sun. — Eric
New York City’s cabs have meters, but for trips to the airports, passengers pay flat fees — Manhattan to JFK, $45 — eliminating any temptation drivers may have to take longer-than-necessary routes.
Until last year, Washington, D.C., bucked the big city allegiance to meters and based prices on a quirky zone-fare system in which fees varied in concentric circles emanating from downtown.
Local regulators and industry types argue that meters — though not without problems, the most obvious of which is long-hauling between the airport and Strip — are a better deal for passengers and drivers.
Taxicab Authority Administrator Gordon Walker said setting flat fees for trips to McCarran would cheat drivers, most of whom pay part of the fuel bill, out of compensation for time and money spent idling. (Meters add 20 cents for every 24 seconds the vehicle is idling.)
Cab rides in Las Vegas are on average shorter than in most big cities. And some cite that statistic to argue that zone fares would likewise cheat passengers. A study before Washington, D.C.’s recent move to metered cabs found that customers traveling fewer than four miles saved money with a meter versus a zone fare.
Bill Shranko, chief operating officer of the Yellow, Checker and Star cab companies, said the simplicity of the meter — no one needs to understand a zone system or know what the flat airport rate is — protects customers.
“No matter what cab you get into, you know you’re going to pay the exact same fare. If you went to different rates and flat rates, there would be more opportunity to deceive the public.”
A meter might have prevented the scene of Yuletide cheer that Mr. Sun witnessed one Christmas morning at the Newark Airport, when a limo driver and his passenger found themselves in disagreement over the cost of the trip.
The driver attempted to resolve matters by holding the passenger’s luggage hostage in his trunk. The passenger retaliated by attempting to kick in one of the limo’s windows and, when that failed, pull the driver’s radio out of the vehicle by the handset.
Questions for Mr. Sun should be sent to page8@lasvegassun.com.
Discussion: 15 comments so far…
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My last day in Las Vegas,from the Plaza to the airport $42.00 fare.I wish I had my camera and took a pic.of that taxicab bumm. Watch out people they will say, lot of traffic on Paradise Rd.So I said I need to get to the airport. This guy gets on expressway then get off then gets back on the expressway and now I am at the airport $42.00 later.Next time I see this Guy I will take a PIC and put it all over the internet.
I will take the Shuttles $8.00 not $42.00 with no tip
Hopefully they'll extend the sky-train from MGM to the airport, it only makes sense.
I think there should be a special fare zone for gentlemen's clubs and a special fare zone for girls who advertise on Craigslist. Other than that I have no opinion.
Better off taking a limo. You pay first hour automatically, then it goes by how much time you are in the limo. It's cheaper than a taxi ans much more classy.
I fly 5 hours to get to Vegas, then I take the airport bus to rental center, cross the street and get the deuce to the terminal, get out of that bus and take the one ready to go up the strip, I reverse everything when leaving Vegas. the only problem is washing again and again the few cloth I take in my backpack, I buy the newspaper to read inside the deuce and nobody know that I came from other state, no for the money, it is just for fun....is my vacation!!......OK?
Sevenhills - If the monorail was to go to the airport, there would be some competition with the cabbies and limit their ability to abuse their customers. I think you see who won that battle already.
In my opinion, the buses on the Strip cause more congestion than anyhting else. I can't count the number of times I've seen the right lanes from Trop going North on LV Blvd, jacked up by a bus. This, in turn, jacks up the whole Trop - LV Blvd intersection and extends back in all directions using the concentric circle idea. Somehow, this escapes our traffic planners' attention.
I just wish I could get a freakin taxi to pick up residential without the 20 minute 2 hour time frame. I would go out so much more often if Las Vegas had a reliable Taxi service to come to my home. And going out means spending money,isn't that what Vegas needs right now?
I think Vegas cabbies would have no choice but to change their service if the Monorail went to the airport.
I wish more tourist would take advantage of the Monorail system. It is cheap and can get you close enough to just about anywhere you want to go on the strip.
I hope the Monorail not only extends to the airport but to Freemont Street like it has been designed to do then the cabbies would be a whole lot nicer to the people they are providing a service to because the Monorail would be a real competitor in the transportation business.
What is so fair to riders now?
I myself got long hauled just before I moved here It was to the Luxor and dropped off on the wrong side of the building.
Idling $$ crapola...cabbies take the slowest routes just so they can idle forever on the strip.
The sheer fact that all the locals are on the side streets along with the EMPTY cabs making good time to try to get to thier next fare tells you they are abusing the system.
They have too much power as shown by when they clogged the strip honking in protest over losing their kickbacks from clubs. So the city gave in and continue them to practice an ILLEGAL kickback.
At the very least there should be one flat fare for the airport to strip since that is the most abused part of the system.
We are willing to build the train to nowhere (Victorville) but unwilling to connect the strip to the airport (which is one of the things I love about Atlanta)
Who owns Las Vegas? The cab companies. I commute the 215 daily and see more long hauls than I can shake a stick at because I know cabbies are hedging that the authority wont be watching.
I think if we all looked at where all the cabs were driving when they are empty...not on the strip but on Industrial and other side roads, it is very easy to see that cabs are not using the most efficient ways between hotels etc for passengers, but only for themselves. They will only use the fast route if it is longer in distance and worth it to them (i.e. the infamous tunnel long haul)
I travel to Vegas once a year - how can I find out what the best route would be to, say the Rio, without getting ripped off by the cabbies.
Took the cab once in vegas ... once was enough. Did some homework on free shuttles, the bus route and now add the monorail and now I never come near a cab, only to walk by them as they wait for another person to rip off. I've got the time ... I can go from anywhere on the strip to DT for free ... in about the same amount of time the rip-off cabbie takes me on a slow ride around the perimeter of the city.
Recently stayed at the Golden Nugget. Took the 109 Bus from the airport $1.75/one hour. Going back to the airport a few days later took a taxi $41 plus $9 tip/55 minutes. Not complaining just informing. Had a great time, love Vegas!
A City the size of the metro Las Vegas area should have a REAL taxicab authority, and the Convention Authority should care what happens to the 40 million visitors that come here. Try getting a cab at the airport...come on, boys, let's grow up and protect our visitors impressions of Las Vegas. Cab company owners never get any pressure to improve things.