Waldemar for Unsplash
If you are used to catching a cab to or from DFW International Airport or Dallas Love Field, your fare is inching up.
The Dallas City Council on Wednesday approved an ordinance hiking up minimum fare charges by $2-$10.
Trips to/from DFW International to/from Downtown Dallas will go up by $10 (from $45 to $55). A minimum fare from Love Field will go up by $2 (the minimus was $8, now $10). A trip from Love to Downtown is now about $26, previously $21, as the Dallas Morning News details.
Getting around DFW by cab will remain the same. At DFW, 30 cab companies provide services from the lower level of Terminals A, B, C, D and E between 8-midnight (and after hours by phone request), according to the airport website.
The last time rates went up was in 2014. Taxi drivers and operators petitioned the City of Dallas to raise the rates due to cost of living and the effects of the pandemic, according to the council agenda.
The approved ordinance included upgraded quality standards. “Doors must open and close smoothly and all of the vehicle’s exterior lights must work properly,” the News reports. All taxis at the airports must also have the name of the vehicle operator, permit number, fare rate and the current fuel surcharge. Operators in violation can be fined up to $500.
Nearly all big cities regulate taxi fares in an effort “to ensure predictability in the amount customers will be charged, to eliminate price gouging and to ensure a reasonable return for owners and drivers,” according to a National Academies booklet on technology and transportation.
In 2018 Austin deregulated taxis in a bid to boost the industry and make it more competitive with ride-sharing programs including Uber and Lyft, which are regulated by the state. Airports typically set pick-up and drop-off fees for customers’ trips. DFW charges $4 for pick up/drop off. At Love Field, it’s $2.
