THE CITY HAS FINED town-car companies nearly $16,000 after the Mercury caught their drivers offering cut-rate fares to the airport. During a spot check in July [“Fare Warning,” News, July 10], the Mercury found four hotels that were skirting city rules that require town-car service providers to charge customers traveling between downtown and the airport a minimum of $50.
The idea is to stop town cars from competing with licensed cab firms, who charge around $26 for a ride to the airport. But it seems hotel bellhops have been pimping out cheaper town-car fares to hotel customers, in return, presumably, for a cut of the profits.
Frank Dufay, the city’s private-for-hire transportation program administrator, planned a sting operation last Tuesday, August 12, and caught 19 drivers either offering too-cheap fares to the airport, or offering rides without a reservation. Now, Dufay says there’ll be weekly stings until the alleged problem calms down. “We caught them dead to rights,” he says. “Our employees swear and certify that they paid these fares.” MD
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The Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP), a non-partisan think tank that researches budget, tax, and economic issues, has released a scathing report on Measure 59. The measure, from Bill Sizemore, would give taxpayers the option to deduct an unlimited amount of their federal taxes on their state tax return.
According to the OCPP, however, “the wealthiest one percent of households would get about half of the total tax break,” and only about a quarter of taxpayers would see any benefit if the measures passes. Meanwhile, the rest of us will see billions of dollars in cuts to state services—up to $2.4 billion, according to the state’s Legislative Revenue Office. The OCPP has a more conservative estimate of $1.1 billion, but that’s still “equivalent to cutting the salaries of all Oregon K-12 public school teachers by 70 percent.” You know, so the state’s richest folks can keep more of their money. AJR
Lets see if the city can actually collect these fines this time around. Town car companies have been getting away with not having to pay these fines. The city lets them off of the hook most of the time. It makes me wonder if it is true when people say the hotels use the kickbacks to pay their doormen. Or instead of paying their doormen decently.
Is the city going to continue to allow hotel doormen and other hotel staff help to manage the quality, safety and efficiency of the downtown para-transit market?
Keep in mind the rented town cars and unpermitted drivers that were fined did not have insurance to cover their passengers. Rental companies do not insure commercial vehicles. Any insurance an unpermitted driver may have had would be null and void against any claim. How many of these drivers fined really had insurance that covered all of their paying passengers?
The Benson was using a town car company driving a rental. The Hotel Monaco was using an unlicensed vehicle with an unpermitted driver. BOTH UNINSURED!!!
The hotels using these illegal town cars that were fined during the sting were:
The Benson, Hilton, Marriott Waterfront, Marriott City Center, Doubletree Lloyd Center, Hotel Vintage Plaza, Hotel Monaco, Hotel Westin, Hotel Lucia, and the Governor hotel.
These hotels do not care about their customers. What if there is an accident in an uninsured town car? With an unpermitted driver?
The hotel and or the doorman who provided this town car to the unwitting customer get all the blame. Because the hotel knows a town car must have a reservation first. A respectable hotel would call a real town car company for their guest. Not allow their doormen to call whatever driver will give them $10.
Whoops! I was wrong.
The Marriott Waterfront Hotel was also guilty of using an unpermitted driver from PRIME town car company. Another town car from PRIME town car company was being used by the Hotel Monaco with an unpermitted driver and no plates. This was on the day of the sting. These drivers got fined, but they also did not have insurance. Why weren’t they towed and impounded? My car would be?!
Any cabbies reading this should be aware that you are allowed to park in front of any hotel for 15 minutes.
If you are first up on the stand and you think a town car may be parked in front of the hotel with no reservation you should pull up and park in front of the hotel. In front of or behind the town car. You then have 15 minutes. When a customer comes out you can offer them a ride. This is also good if you are first on the stand and the hotel is busy with people checking out whether or not a town car is illegally parked. Pull up and offer the customer your service! Cut out the middleman(doorman). You have just as much of a right to park at the door of a hotel as anyone. Just remember you only have 15 minutes so plan wisely.