OCEAN CITY – Taxi cab owners urged city officials this week to loosen up on the local taxi industry in order to level the playing field with the Uber car service.
On Monday morning, George Basle and Ralph DeAngelus of Taxi Taxi OC came before the Police Commission asking for a level playing field between Uber and Ocean City’s taxi industry.
“I am not here to whine. I like competition. Competition is what made America great but you have to do something to level the playing field. It is unbelievably unfair what the Uber drivers don’t have to do compared to what we have to do. It is a massive difference,” DeAngelus said.
Ocean City allows a total of 175 taxicab medallions in Ocean City — up to 85 percent issued to fleet holders and up to 15 percent issued to independent holders. Currently, all medallions are owned by holders and fleets and are sold between them. The value of medallions has reached $7,000.
DeAngelus and Basle furthered those medallions must be renewed each year at the cost of $500 per medallion, specialty insurance is required, a business license is required, top-side identifying lights are required, taxi drivers must renew their license yearly going through criminal background checks paying the processing fee, and taxi drivers must comply with random drug testing.
On Memorial Day weekend, the business partners hired an Uber driver to travel from Princess Bayside on 48th Street to 17th Street. The ride cost $22.14 compared to the standard taxi meter, which would have charged $8.08. This is because during “peak times” Uber drives are allowed to charge 2.9 times the normal rate, which Ocean City taxis are not allowed to do so.
Basle furthered in speaking to the Uber driver he learned Uber vehicles can be a 2006 or newer but is was no special insurance required just regular tags and a public service license.
Also, this particular driver stated he was charged with a DWI three years earlier, compared to Ocean City taxi drivers who cannot get a taxi license if they have had a DWI within the prior 10 years.
DeAngelus pointed out for any other person, including Uber drivers, vehicles are inspected once by the state usually when purchased but for Ocean City taxi owners annual inspections are required and costly. Ocean City’s inspection is not as stringent but focuses primarily on the meter accurately charging the required rate of $2.20 a mile.
“If you want to take your foot off the gas pedal for us a little bit and give us some relief keep the city inspection … but don’t make us take our car through a state inspection every single year,” he said.
DeAngelus added Uber drivers in Ocean City don’t have to be from Maryland and take their profits home to be spent in other states.
“People are coming in from Jersey, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Scranton, Virginia and Delaware that have Uber licenses that come here for vacation and decide one day they need to earn a little money and turn on their Uber app to start picking up fares,” he said.
City Solicitor Guy Ayres warned Uber is regulated by the PSC and the town’s hands may be tied.
“You know you are never going to get a level playing field with this but we will do what we can,” Ayres said.
However, the commission asked Ayres to further investigate the concerns.
“If you can’t bring the sledgehammer down on Uber … then maybe just take some of the restrictions off of us,” DeAngelus said.