July 23, 2008
Cab fare from Manchester airport rising
MANCHESTER – The price of a taxi ride out of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport will go up between 20 and 40 percent next month.
A new fare schedule, which goes into effect Aug. 1, will charge customers an extra $2 to $6 for quick trips from the airport to other locations in Manchester or some neighboring towns. The rate for longer trips will jump to $2.40 per mile, a 37 percent increase.
Airport officials approved the new prices this month in response to a petition from the taxi companies, whose profits have taken a hit as gas prices have climbed.
"We’re all kind of suffering out there," said Ron Cote, owner-operator of All American Airport Service.
The measure is the latest in a series of fare increases pinching local travelers. Last month, Manchester’s aldermen approved a temporary 90-cents-per-mile fare hike for local taxi cabs. City bus fares also went up last month, from $1 per adult to $1.25.
Dave Bush, assistant airport director for property and contract management, said the airport heard the cab companies’ pleas for help. Cab fares had not increased since 20001, he said.
In that time, the price of regular gasoline in Manchester has soared from approximately $1.40 per gallon to a near-record $3.97 per gallon.
"They absolutely needed some relief," Bush said.
How much extra money a customer will have to shell out will vary depending on the destination. The shortest trips — essentially, those of a mile or less — will increase from $8 to $10. A trip to the Center of New Hampshire on Elm Street, now $15, will cost $20.
Customers traveling the farthest will see the largest increases. For instance:
o A ride to East Broadway Street in Derry will cost about $30. Right now, it costs $22.
o A ride to downtown Nashua will cost about $43. Right now, it costs $31.50.
o A ride to downtown Concord will cost about $55. Right now, it costs $40.
Bill York, the cab company owner who wrote the petition, said the increases should seem minor to most customers. Most of his own riders, he said, are business travelers.
"People who travel a couple times a year are not going to feel it at all," said York, who runs Reliable Airport Service and is himself a driver.
York said he expects some customers will be put off by the new prices. "But what you have to understand," he said, "is that what we provide is a convenience."
Fifteen cab company owners signed York’s petition, which cites the rising costs of gas, vehicle maintenance and insurance and says, "We believe the time for relief is now." The petition was delivered to the airport in May.
In it, the owners requested a 20 percent increase in rates. They got more than they asked for, Bush said, because a review by various airport executives found the rates were significantly higher at other New England airports.
Portland charges $3 per mile, according to Bush. In Providence, he said, the price is $2.50 per mile.
There are 26 cab companies servicing Manchester’s airport. Bush said. The price increase does not apply to limousines.
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