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Editorial: Make room for Tampa cabs

 
Published Aug. 19, 2014

Taxi regulators were right to clamp down on filthy cabs and unprofessional drivers operating in the bay area. But cabdrivers have some valid complaints that officials should also quickly address. Chief among them is the dearth of cabstands in downtown Tampa. As the city continues to grow, cabdrivers need legal places to park and await fares. The city should make creating more cabstands a priority in areas such as downtown and Ybor City. That would go a long way toward improving relations among cabdrivers, regulators and paying customers.

Taxicabs are often the first point of contact for visitors in Tampa Bay. Last month, hotel developer Lou Plasencia railed against Tampa taxicabs during a meeting of the Hillsborough County Hotel Motel Association. Plasencia called Tampa's cabs pigsties and said drivers are often rude and don't know how to get where riders want to go. The Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission, or PTC, which regulates taxis, is adding inspectors. And taxi companies are committed to making improvements.

As Tampa continues to provide more cultural offerings and open more hotels downtown, the city's cabstands have not kept pace. There are only five cabstands in downtown Tampa, while the PTC has licensed 663 cabs in the county.

City officials are deep into plans for a more vibrant, livable downtown. But they should make room for cabstands, which would allow visitors and residents access to safe, reliable and clean transportation.