Bonnie Teaford, Public Works Director

Purpose:

To introduce an ordinance that amends Chapter 23 (Public Transportation), Section 129 of the Burbank Municipal Code (Rates of Fare) regulating the rates that may be charged for taxicab services in the City of Burbank.  This proposed ordinance revises the current Municipal Code to authorize the Traffic and Transportation Committee to establish a surcharge for extraordinary or unusual costs incurred in providing specialized transportation services.

Background:

Burbank Municipal Code Section 23-129 currently requires that a taxicab fare cannot be greater than that charged in the City of Los Angeles for a similar trip, and this section also requires that taxicab rates of fare must be consistent throughout the City of Burbank.  The existing base taxi rates in Los Angeles and Burbank are $2.20 for the first 1/11^th mile, $0.20 for each additional 1/11^th mile and $0.40 per minute for waiting time.  A $0.50 per trip surcharge is also currently allowed to defray gasoline costs.

G & S Transit and Tri-City Transportation have requested a $2.50 per trip surcharge for trips from Bob Hope Airport.  This charge is consistent with the surcharge within the City of Los Angeles for trips from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).  The LAX surcharge funds additional services at the airport and the surcharge at Bob Hope Airport will also fund additional services to passengers at our local airport.  The airport and the taxi companies have agreed to stage taxis at a remote location, with a supervisor to control the staging and to coordinate the dispatching of the vehicles to the airport proper.  This operation, currently in place, will minimize taxis waiting in the terminal area and provide just-in-time taxi services to riders at the terminal.  Since taxis serve over 200,000 passenger trips annually from Bob Hope Airport, the service will reduce traffic congestion in the terminal area.  The surcharge is intended to fund the additional supervisor, communications, and computerized dispatching for this specialized service.

ANALYSIS:

The current requirements in the Burbank Municipal Code were established to emulate requirements in the City of Los Angeles and to make full use of the Los Angeles regulatory process for taxis.  Los Angeles has eight licensed cab companies with over 2,300 licensed cabs that are monitored and regulated by the Los Angeles Board of Taxi Commissioners.  This board establishes rates of fare after considerable detailed investigation and review of cab operating costs.

Our Burbank Municipal Code requires that the rates in Burbank for our 120 licensed cabs be consistent with those charged in Los Angeles, since we within the larger urban area and differential rates would be confusing and inconvenient for the user.  However, the Burbank Municipal Code provision that rates must be consistent throughout Burbank does not allow user surcharges for airport operations only.  The proposed changes in the Burbank Municipal Code retain the consistency of base fares within the region, based on Los Angeles rates, but allow the Traffic and Transportation Committee to establish surcharges as necessary for specialized operations.

The Traffic and Transportation Committee, per BMC Section 23-104, currently regulates the number of licensed taxis in Burbank and established the operating rules for taxis.  This committee is the appropriate way to regulate any surcharges in Burbank in conjunction with its other duties.

RECOMMENDATION:

Staff recommends that Council adopt the proposed ordinance amending Chapter 23 of the Burbank Municipal Code to allow the Traffic and Transportation Committee to establish surcharge rates for specialized services independently of the Los Angeles surcharge rates.

attachment:  Exhibit A:  Proposed Ordinance Amending Chapter 23-129 of the BMC

                       Exhibit B: Proposed changes from Current Code

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