POLL: Should PC Cabbies Subsidize Reduced Senior Fares?

Senior citizens can take a cab anywhere in Port Chester for $2.

Almost everyone agrees it's a noble gesture and a sign that the community cares about seniors on fixed incomes. What they might not realize is that it's the cabbies themselves who absorb the cost, without help from taxi companies or local government.

A consultant report stressed that point while recommending changes to shift the burden off of drivers. The report notes that "the subsidy may be equivalent to between $2,400 and $4,400 per licensed vehicle, or between 10 and 18 percent of a typical taxi driver's income."

In addition to the financial burden on the drivers, the situation "has created conflict between drivers and seniors, with some taxi drivers refusing to pick up senior fares and some dispatchers steering the lower senior fares to less popular drivers."

Cab drivers face the same financial crunch as everyone else in a bad economy, and pay up to $30,000 for the privilege of driving a licensed cab in Port Chester. That point was raised repeatedly in a trustee meeting last week, as representatives from taxi companies lobbied the board to continue the status quo in Port Chester.

Should the community share the cost of subsidizing senior fares?