Taxi cab drivers in Boise could be in for some changes. The city council Tuesday takes a first look at a proposed ordinance that would place an age limit on new cabs, and require more inspections. It would also make credit and debit card services mandatory. City spokesman Adam Park says the proposal comes after complaints from passengers.
Adam Park “We’ve actually had some city employees who’ve gone out and taken some rides with taxi drivers without letting them know that they work for the city to verify those complaints. And we’ve found that many of the complaints are well founded. That there have been some problems with the quality of taxi service.”
Park says most complaints come from taxis at the airport. One of the most common the city receives is that drivers refuse to take passengers who aren’t going very far from the airport. He says they have also had a few complaints from people who were taken to the wrong destination because the driver could not understand passenger instructions. The ordinance would also require taxi drivers to be proficient in English. As written cab drivers would have to take a geography test administered by the clerk’s office. If while taking that, the clerk determined the driver was not proficient in English the clerk could require the driver to take an English as a Second Language class. The council takes up the proposal this Tuesday and will meet with lawyers to see if it passes legal muster.