Portland Taxi Companies Aren't Changing Prices to Compete with Uber

By AARON MESH

Portland's taxis are stubbornly refusing to go wild.

Portland City Council removed price restrictions for cab companies when it legalized ride-hailing apps Uber and Lyft on April 21.

City Commissioner Steve Novick said he was responding to cab-company outcry by giving taxis a new means to compete with Uber's "surge pricing," which hikes fares during periods of high demand.

Yet three weeks into the test run, no major cab company has taken the city up on the offer to change its meter rates.

Three companies—Broadway Cab, Green Cab and Union Cab—are still mulling future price changes, says Kellian Amico, spokeswoman for a coalition of Portland taxi companies.

Radio Cab has voted to rule out that possibility.

"Customers have gotten used to what the rates are," says Radio Cab general manager Steve Entler. "We have too many repeat customers to be tinkering around with price. We're going to stay the course."

WWeek 2015

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