Montgomery County set a temporary $1.50 emergency fuel surcharge Friday on all taxicab rides, effective through Aug. 27.
The charge will not appear on the taxicab meter, but will be added to the fare. The emergency measure is intended to help cab drivers combat high gasoline prices.
“The surcharge is necessary to ensure the viability of our taxi industry,” said Arthur Holmes, director of the County’s Department of Public Works and Transportation. “Without a surcharge, the county could find itself with an inadequate number of taxicab drivers to maintain service levels,” he said.
Montgomery set its current taxicab meter rates in February 2006, when $3.28 a gallon of regular unleaded was the highest price recorded in suburban Maryland. Last week, the American Automobile Association Daily Fuel Gauge Report stated that the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the same area was $3.82.
