Taxi to the Dark Side?

KATU reports Portland taxi and limo services aren't following the rules

By MATT KAUFFMAN

Turns out that taxi ride to Portland International Airport may not be a smart choice after all.

WW partner KATU exposed gross misconduct by some of Portland’s taxi, limo and town car companies in their Thursday night broadcast. 

While the city maintains strict regulations, many driving services operate illegally, forgoing safety checks and up-to-date insurance, if any. Companies also hire drivers with criminal records that should lawfully bar them from ferrying passengers to their destination. 

One driver, Brandon Sofge, had so many infractions that Portland, neighboring Vancouver and the state of Washington all ordered him to stop. However, KATU found that Sofge’s company, Around the Town Car Service, continued to operate despite numerous reports of negligence. 

Sofge is also a convicted felon. 

With this report and recent news of sleep-deprived TriMet drivers working marathon shifts, that long term parking fee at PDX might be worth the hassle after all.

 

WWeek 2015

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