Wait a Minute, Mister Postman ...

Thank you to the DMYR ... 

A big thanks to the Denver Metro Young Republicans for a fun evening and some great conversation. We hope you get the word out that Mile High Cab's situation is the embodiment of the "Big Government is Killing Small Business" discussion.

Some of you asked how you can make a difference. Well, talking with friends and candidates is a great start. And we'd love it if some of you want to tell the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to STOP KILLING COLORADO JOBS.

You can always email PUC Director Doug Dean at Doug.Dean@dora.state.co.us

And some of you said you like to make a bigger impact by doing it old school, with a formal letter mailed to the PUC. For sure, you can do that as well. Write to:

Doug Dean
Director
Public Utilities Commission
1560 Broadway, ste. 250
Denver, CO 80202

Be sure to reference: Mile High Cab, docket number 08A-407CP

Folks, We Got Trouble, Right Here in Mile High City!

We'd never call it "snake oil" ...

So when it came time for an administrative law judge to decide if another Taxi company could make it in the Mile High, he depended in part on experts, or as they are known in professional circles "paid opinion witnesses," who could argue the five-county metro area needed another cab company (a cab company that would charge less and offer better service than the big companies). It just so happens one of those paid opinion witnesses was hired by ... the big cab companies.

People paid to provide testimony? That's crazy talk! Only in Denver, right? Wrong ...

Seems just north of the border in Canada, the same paid opinion witness employed here in Denver to "discover" that we don't need cheaper rides and better service found the same thing in Canada. There, paid opinion witness Ray Mundy relied on 17-year-old data and ignored newer data that conflicted with his beliefs, according to a newspaper account.

At least one person challenged him. David Seymour of the Frontier Centre for Public Policy called out Mr. Mundy in this op-ed in the StarPhoenix newspaper in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Isn't the Internet great? You can track guys like this as they go town to town, offering the same paid opinions for whomever is hiring:

Taxi study needs better evidence

BY DAVID SEYMOUR, SPECIAL TO THE STARPHOENIX SEPTEMBER 24, 2010

Following is the viewpoint of Seymour, director of the Saskatchewan office of the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.


This summer Saskatchewan's two largest cities received and digested report by transportation consultant Ray Mundy of the Tennessee Transportation and Logistics Foundation.


Mundy has been busy in Saskatchewan this year, filing 170-page reports on the taxi industries of Regina and Saskatoon, at a cost of $45,000 and $50,000, respectively. Citizens should consider what's not in the reports before they decide whether they got value for money.


Behind any debate on taxi regulations looms the question of whether municipalities should stipulate the number of cabs allowed to operate, and the prices they charge. The alternative is for municipalities to focus on safety and basic driver competence, and then leave the questions of price and numbers up to the marketplace.


This very question was debated by panels of experts at the International Association of Taxi Regulators' annual conference in Chicago this past weekend.


In Mundy's reports, there is no such debate. Like a child who incriminates himself by denying a misdeed even before being accused, the first sections of each report reveal where the inquiry won't be going. They're entitled, Why Regulate Taxis?, and go on to answer the posed question.


Competition serves consumers well in every other private industry, it seems, but taxis are somehow different. Mundy explains how several U.S. cities disastrously removed controls on prices charged and who could enter the industry in the 1980s. On this he is largely correct, and offers several quotes from studies of that period.


Incredibly, the newest study quoted dates to 1993, and the entire report even fails to mention the quite different experiences and research that have come to light in the past 17 years.

Read the rest of the article here.

Light Shines on Aurora

The Aurora Sentinel writes about Mile High Cab ...

What's fare is fair: New cab company decries PUC rejection

By BRANDON JOHANSSON
The Aurora Sentinel

AURORA | The brightly colored pages of Edem “Archie” Archibong’s appointment book are rarely blank.

Instead, the neon slips of paper the Aurora cab driver totes around fill up with appointments around the clock.

At 1:45 p.m. last Friday, he was set to drive a client to the airport. And at 4 p.m. he was heading back to the airport to pick someone up. And again at 8 p.m. his purple cab would be motoring toward the airport once again.

“This is what my day looks like, I cannot do them all,” the Nigerian immigrant said in an interview last week in front of his Aurora home. “These are people who called for taxis the previous time and nobody showed up, due to bad service.”

Archibong, who has been driving a cab for Freedom Cab for 15 years, has joined with 150 other cab drivers with the hopes of starting a new cab company called Mile High Taxi that he said would tap into those customers who have trouble getting a ride from the current companies.

Read the rest of this excellent article online here

The Airport Hustle: It's Not a Dance

How competition could help ... 

Did you know drivers for Yellow pay Yellow Cab more than $900 a week to drive the cab. They don't make a dime until The Man at Yellow gets his $900. The only way to come up with that kind of scratch, and make a living, is to hustle those big dollar airport rides

And did you know, drivers pay Metro at least $800 a week?

You know what that means? If you aren't downtown, headed to the airport, you're going to have a heck of a time getting a cab. Drivers don't want to turn away the elderly trying to get to a doctor's appointment. Or a single mom without a car trying to get to a grocery store. But they have to. They can't afford to run neighborhood errands. They need those airport rides.

Plenty of cabs if you're in a fancy hotel waiting for a ride to the airport. But just try to get from Five Points to the Safeway to buy groceries for your family.

Mile High Cab would be different. Charging just $250 to drivers for dispatch service and support, drivers could make just the $900 a week that would go to Yellow and still live a middle class lifestyle. That means drivers can accept local fares and work close to home.

Want a Tale from the Files of the PUC? Okay ...

On March 3, 2009, A worker in Mayor John Hickenlooper's office complained to the PUC (and according to the PUC, it wasn't the first time the Mayor's Office had complained about this kind of issue). The report states the Mayor's Office employee tried to catch a cab to take him about five blocks. The cab driver (Metro) refused and told the employee to walk.

Okay, guy probably should've walked. Be good for him. Neither here nor there.

According to the report, the complaintant "says he has heard similar complaints, especially from tourists. He thinks the cab drivers are simply waiting for airport traffic." 

That's not an isolated issue. This happens more than you know.


On Nov. 9, 2009, the PUC received a complaint from a downtown hotel. The hotel said a Yellow Cab driver didn't want to take a passenger on a trip down to Greenwood Village (that's NOT a bad fare, btw). During the ride, the driver complained throughout to the passenger that he was wasting his time on anything BUT a ride to the airport.

The hotel tells the PUC that this kind of airport craving is not isolated. According to the file: "Our taxi line is not an airport only taxi line. We are constantly having issues with taxi drivers at our location that only want to go the airport and are refusing service to our guests for locations other than the airport."

Tell the PUC to let Mile High Cab compete. Give drivers a fair shake, so they can serve you better. Competition would mean Yellow and Metro couldn't push drivers around and force them to hustle for all that extra money. That means better service for you in your neighborhood. Write to PUC Director Doug Dean and tell him to let Mile High Cab into the market.

Strange Things Are Afoot At the DIA ...

The PUC says taxi service is fine at Denver's airport ...

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission says things are all peachy for travelers at Denver International Airport. And, they say, there are plenty of taxis out there already. Adding the lower fares of Mile High Cab would just make things worse for riders.

Let's look at that.

First, things seem to be far from aok at DIA. From Denver's KMGH-TV 7 this week: "Airport manager Kim Day has put DIA operations chief John Kinney on paid "investigatory leave," officials confirmed. It was the second time in less than a year that Day has placed a department head on investigatory leave. DIA officials won't discuss what motivated the suspension."

Won't say? Read the rest of the story here.

And say, remember last year? Those fees taxi drivers pay to the airport for being allowed to provide needed service to passengers (yeah, you pay for that somewhere down the line) were stolen. Embezzled. Vamoosed. Again from Ch. 7: "Denver police are investigating the embezzlement of $170,000 from Denver International Airport taxi fees. A search warrant obtained by 7NEWS shows the scam went undetected for nearly two years. At least 16 cash collections made by DIA Ground Transportation Department workers between November 2007 and late June 2009 vanished en route from that agency to the airport finance department without making it to the bank."

Think the airport could manage its taxi lot a bit better if it could keep track of the money? Read the rest of the story here.

And while the PUC says there are always plenty of cabs waiting to serve you at DIA, maybe that's changed. Maybe someone should reassess. This aerial photo shows the taxi waiting lot from an old photo. Pretty full.  An awful lot of those cabs are ... Yellow. One of the most expensive per-mile companies.

But this photo, taken over the weekend, clearly shows the cupboard is bare. The taxicab holding lot is empty. The airport ran out of cabs on Sunday afternoon.  Were you one of the passengers waiting for the opportunity to pay too much for a ride home? Were you one of the people who wondered, "If the PUC says there are already too many cabs, why can't I get one at the airport?"

Demand better from your government. Tell the PUC you want Mile High Cab's lower fares and better service. And like Southwest Air, remember, "bags fly free," no fee for luggage or additional passengers

Denver Daily News: Pressure Mounting on PUC

Mile High Cab is gathering support and media attention ...

Monday's Denver Daily News has the story:

Drive for new cab company

Pressure mounts for PUC to allow drivers to form new cab service

Peter Marcus, DDN Staff Writer

Monday, September 20, 2010

"Pressure is coming from all sides for the Public Utilities Commission to allow a group of taxi drivers to open a new cab service in metro Denver.

The issue has crossed the political aisle, with both Republicans and Democrats issuing letters encouraging the PUC to allow Mile High Cab, a group of about 150 local cab drivers, to open a new cab service in the area.

A proposal by Mile High Cab to open a new company was rejected by an administrative-law judge last month. The judge ruled that the new company would damage existing local cab companies. An attorney for the group is asking the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to overturn the judge’s ruling.

High-profile unions and politicians have been writing to the PUC, asking it to review the ruling.

State Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, co-sponsored legislation in 2008, House Bill 1227, that eased the application process for taxi cab companies with the intent of “opening the door for greater competition,” he said. Penry is frustrated, arguing that Judge Paul Gomez ruled against the intent of his legislation."

Read the rest of the story here. And be sure to leave a comment on their website telling them you like the job they are doing!

Thanks Denver Daily News for staying on top of this important story.

With Beer, More is Better. Same with Taxis!

What if the PUC regulated beer? 

This weekend in the Mile High City marks the Great American Beer Festival. And what goes together better than Beer and Taxis?

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission says four taxi companies is all Denver needs. Why would we possibly need more, they ask. Well, then, should the same go for beer? The Great American Beer Festival has some 2,200 beer makers on hand, because why? Because More Is Better! More choice, more price ranges, more flavors, more competition!

If you're at the Great American Beer Festival (#GABF) and you've "sampled" more than a few of those 2,200 great beers, you'll want to catch a taxi home. Remember, not all cabs are the same. You can save money, as much as 45 cents per mile, by snagging a Union (orange) or Freedom (purple) taxi, over a Metro (green) or Yellow (duh) cab.

More is better. Competition means choice. And remember, if it was up to the PUC, the Great American Beer Festival would only have four booths: Pabst, Miller, Coors and Bud.

Any more competition would hurt the other companies, right?

Tell the PUC to let Mile High Cab compete in a free market. Write to Director Doug Dean and tell him lower fares and better service are good for consumers. It only takes a minute, and it could save you money.

More News Coverage, We're Making Some Noise

Great 8 Newspapers, chain takes notice of Mile High Cab

Laura Hathaway, editor and writer for the Golden Transcript, one of eight suburban newspapers serving several west metro communities, got together with Mile High Cab chairman Edem "Archie" Archibong to learn about Mile High Cab. Her excellent story is running in several papers this week, letting suburban dwellers know that Mile High Cab is here to serve them!

Cabbies still waiting for a chance at new venture
Company wants to expand services to Jeffco

by Laura Hathaway

A two-year battle continues for cabdriver Edem "Archie" Archibong as his dream of creating another cab company in Denver was recently denied by the Public Utilities Commission.

Archibong, along with 150 cabdrivers, wants to create a company that serves five Denver-area counties, including Jefferson and Adams counties, and offers lower fares and more available cab service.

The Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which regulates the taxi industry, said in a July ruling that adding Mile High Cabs to the market would harm the public and existing cab companies because of destructive competition.

Judge Paul Gomez said another company would impede the ability of current carriers to provide safe, economical and efficient service.

Mile High Cab applied to the PUC in 2008 and has been waiting to hear their fate since.

Read the rest of this story by clicking here.

Denver Post Columnist Susan Greene

One of Colorado's best known columnists weighs in on Mile High Cab

Greene: Cab startup getting burned

By Susan Greene
Denver Post Columnist

POSTED: 09/16/2010 01:00:00 AM MDT

Lisa Reynolds-Nixon stood at East 10th Avenue and Lincoln Street longer than it took to get sunburn before she gave up trying to hail a cab.

"What's wrong with this city? Don't you people have taxis?" asked the skin- product rep from Boston who made the mistake of assuming she could make her sales calls in Denver without a car rental.

Red bikes? We've got plenty.

But on a major street just blocks from the state Capitol, the chances of catching a cab, even in broad daylight, are slim.

It seems curious then that a startup deemed operationally and managerially fit for business by state regulators has been denied its application to launch more taxis in Denver and surrounding counties.

Paul Gomez, an administrative law judge for the Public Utilities Commission, ruled this summer that Mile High Cab's proposed fleet of 150 would harm existing companies' business and "impede the ability of those carriers to provide safe, economical and efficient service."

"When a market is at or near capacity, a homogenous, undifferentiated entrant such as Mile High does not serve the public interest," he wrote.

I wonder which members of the public, and exactly whose interest, Gomez had in mind.

Read more:Greene: Cab startup getting burned - The Denver Posthttp://www.denverpost.com/greene/ci_16087263?source=rsshomecol#ixzz0zhOZ03XW

Yeah, Uh, We've Decided Not to Pick You Up

Wow, and you thought you had a reservation? Ha!

BadTaxi! is an occasional series from Mile High Cab. While a Colorado Public Utilities Commission administrative law judge says the five-county metro area is already adequately served by existing Taxi companies, the PUC’s own files show things could be better. Much better.


The following complaint is a real example written by a real taxi customer. Every file in this series is taken directly from the Files of the PUC.

On Monday, Dec. 28th, 2009, A customer tells the PUC that he made a reservation for his mother to be picked up by SuperShuttle at the Radisson Hotel in Longmont at 7 a.m. so she could be at Denver International Airport in time for her 10 a.m. flight. SuperShuttle is owned by the French conglomerate Veolia, a billion-dollar company that also owns Denver's Yellow Taxi.

"We were there waiting and waiting for their arrival," the man tells the PUC. "When the desk clerk informed us at 6:50 a.m. that they would not be making any pick ups. No reason, not that any reason would have been acceptable to leave my mother stranded without a way to get to the airport in time to catch her flight."

"This is totally unacceptable and deplorable service," the customer tells the PUC. "When you depend on transportation to the airport, you expect to be able to rely on a business ... A call to the 800# asking how they were going to get her to the airport resulted in 'Sorry, it's out of my hands,'" the customer complained.

"Any business that runs their operation in such an irresponsible way is incomprehensible and in my opinion, their license should be revoked. I will never trust them again and will spread the word to everyone I possibly can."

Mike Legette, general manager for SuperShuttle of Denver/Boulder told the PUC it was the driver's fault for not using the van appropriately."SuperShuttle dispatch also handled the situation poorly and there are things that should have been done," he wrote.

He agreed to issue a voucher for free SuperShuttle service in the future (but no guarantee the shuttle would actually show up!)

Oh, that 800 number the irate customer called for help. The operator isn't in Denver or Boulder or anywhere around the Front Range ... The call center is in Phoenix, Arizona. Yeah, that's going to help.

Yet the PUC's administrative law judge says there are plenty of cabs in the five-county Front Range area. And those cabs offer adequate service.

Wouldn't a locally-based company offer better service than a corporation based in France?  Wouldn't a dispatcher based, say, somewhere in Colorado be more of a help? Wouldn't drivers who actually owned the company tend to care more about their reputation for quality service? Wouldn't competition force Veolia (I mean, Yellow Taxi) to do better?

You don’t have to put up with bad service. Take a stand. If you’ve had a bad experience in a Denver cab, let the PUC know and demand an investigation. You can call investigators at (800) 456-0858 or email a complaint to the PUC Consumer.Complaints@dora.state.co.us


You can let the PUC know you want the lower fares and better service offered by the owner/operators of Mile High Cab. Ask the PUC to hear Mile High Cab’s case and let them compete in a Denver market that can only get better when drivers compete to earn your trust. Write to Director Doug Dean at Doug.Dean@dora.state.co.us and reference Mile High Cab, docket number 08A-407CP.


And if you'd like to share your experiences in public, feel free to leave a comment, or post a review on the public service review site Yelp

Look For, The Union Label ...

Transit workers like Mile High Cab ...

Wow, we were surprised, but pleasantly so! Yesterday we learned Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 1001, Westminster, has sent a letter to the Public Utilities Commission on behalf of Mile High Cab.

Thank you very much! The Amalgamated Transit Union represents some 180,000 bus, subway and transit workers in 270 Locals. These fine people know the roads and they know the transit needs of the people of Denver. Their words of support mean a lot.

Join them, tell the PUC that you want better service and prices for consumers, and better working conditions for the 150 owner-operators of Mile High Cab.

Here's what the Amalgamated Transit Workers had to say:

Public Utilities Commission
1560 Broadway, Suite 250
Denver, CO 80202

RE: Application of Mile High Cab
Docket Number 08A-407 CP

To Whom It May Concern:

I believe that Mile High Cab should be able to operate a cab company in the Denver Metro Area. Increased competition would benefit the community. Mile High Cab would charge 25 cents less per mile than two of the existing cab companies and also would not charge extra for additional passengers or baggage. Competition of another cab company will benefit consumers. It is in the best interest of the entire community for the PUC to allow Mile High Cab to operate in the Denver Metro Areas.

Sincerely,

Holman Carter
ATU Local Union 1001 - President

Union

Thank You Congressman Perlmutter!

U.S. Congressman weighs in for Mile High Cab ...

Makes no matter which side of the aisle people are on, what's right is right. Mile High Cab is thrilled to have the support of U.S. Congressman Ed Perlmutter who has written a letter to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission urging commissioners to reconsider a judge's ruling that blocked the new cab cooperative from competing in the Denver metro market.

Perlmutter, a Democrat for Colorado's 7th Congressional District, joins his Republican opponent, Ryan Frazier, in siding with Mile High Cab. It's become a bipartisan issue that has backing of both parties.

Here's what Perlmutter wrote:

The Honorable Chairman Ron Binz
Chairman
Colorado Public Utility Commission
1560 Broadway, Suite 250
Denver, CO 80202

Dear Chairman Binz:

I write on behalf of Mile High Cab, Inc. and my constituents who would benefit from increased taxi service urging the Public Utilities Commission's (PUC) approval of its application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for taxi service in the Denver metropolitan region.

The Colorado Revised Statutes establish several important criteria for the approval of a CPCN. These criteria are established to ensure the petition is capable of service the public and maintaining a healthy marketplace of competition. These criteria are critical to measuring the risk consumers face when purchasing necessities like electricity, water and natural gas.

In his July 20, 2010 decision, Administrative Law Judge Paul Gomez denied Mile High Cab's application. Judge Gomez made clear in his determination that the company's business plan, management experience and industry experience were sufficient for the necessary "fitness" test. Further, Judge Gomez stated the company was adequately capitalized to encounter the known and unknown expenses to be anticipated for a new company. So his decision indicates there is noting inherent to Mile High Cab as an independent business which was sufficient for denial.

But Juge Gomez' denial is premised on the notion the approval of the CPCN would com at the detriment of the public interest because plummeting rates as a result of an oversupply in Denver would result in worsening service and deteriorating taxi maintenance. Yet no evidence was presented which demonstrates this scenario could arise in a medium-sized city like Denver with similar transportation needs and population distribution. Based upon this information, I question Judge Gomez' denial.

The PUC is charged to ensure taxi service exists in the region. Therefore, I believe before denying the petition, evidence should first be presented showing an instance in which a city of comparable size, population density and transportation needs as those of Denver resulted in the complete elimination of the market. If it cannot, I believe lower rates to consumers and 160 new jobs are more important.

Sincerely
Ed Perlmutter
Member of Congress

You can tell the PUC to support better service and lower fares for consumers, too. Just write to the Public Utilities Commission Director Doug Dean by clicking here.

Perl Mutter Letter 2

There's Rude, and Then There's ...

Rude, dangerous, and downright scary!

BadTaxi! is an occasional series from Mile High Cab. While a Colorado Public Utilities Commission administrative law judge says the five-county metro area is already adequately served by existing Taxi companies, the PUC’s own files show things could be better. Much better.

The following complaint is a real example written by a real taxi customer. Every file in this series is taken directly from the Files of the PUC.


On August 22, 2009, at approximately 4:55 p.m., a customer called for a Metro Cab to pick her up at the Embassy Suites Airport Hotel. Not a bad response time, only 15 minutes. 

So far. So good. But things go wrong in a hurry, the customer tells the PUC. From the start, all the windows are rolled down. It's hot out. It's windy inside the cab. The passenger asks if the cab is air conditioned. The driver tells her it is not. She says she pretty much expected an air conditioned taxi. Something in decent shape. 

The customer says she was headed out for a big night, she was dressed up. She didn't want to get sweaty. She complained, and, she tells the PUC, that's when the woman driving the cab started "being rude."

The customer reached for a cell phone, despite having a hard time hearing over the roar of the wind, and tried to call Metro to complain. These are the customer's words, "She began yelling and cussing at me, asking me why I called the cab company. At first she refused to give me the (cab) number. She finally said "My f****** cab number is 202. What the f*** are you going to do about it? Why the f*** are you calling Metro? If you're hot stick your f******, twitching a** head out the window, you mother f*****"

The customer in this case suffers from cerebral palsy.

"She continued her insults all the while driving at a fast rate of speed," the customer reported. "I looked at the speedometer and saw the speedometer indicate 68 miles per hour. She called someone on her cell while she was driving wildly and told them that she couldn't believe 'these f****** a** people ... She continued calling me names like 'weird twitch a** mother f*****' and several others."

It gets worse. The driver shouts insults at the customer while she's on the phone with a dispatcher. "At that point I truly feared for my safety and I felt the cab company was doing nothing to ensure my safety or to stop this woman from driving like a mad maniac or stop insulting me and calling me improper names so I asked her to please let me out. She again said 'I'll let you out you mother f****** white a** worthless piece of s***.' She cut in front of traffic, took an exit and stopped the cab while still yelling insulting names at me."

After finding out the police wouldn't do anything since there was no actual crime, the customer said she was alone and scared in an unfamiliar part of town. SHE CALLED METRO AGAIN for another cab.

"Asked the dispatcher if there was another cab coming. After checking, she said yes, but it would be a while because I was 'pretty far away.'" Eventually, another Metro cab arrived. The customer noticed the windows were down and there was no air conditioning.

The ride to the destination cost $15.

According to the PUC file, Metro investigated. The driver got a warning. 

You don’t have to put up with bad service. Take a stand. If you’ve had a bad experience in a Denver cab, let the PUC know and demand an investigation. You can call investigators at (800) 456-0858 or email a complaint toPUCConsumer.Complaints@dora.state.co.us

You can let the PUC know you want the lower fares and better service offered by the owner/operators of Mile High Cab. Ask the PUC to hear Mile High Cab’s case and let them compete in a Denver market that can only get better when drivers compete to earn your trust. Write to Director Doug Dean at Doug.Dean@dora.state.co.us and reference Mile High Cab, docket number 08A-407CP. 

And if you'd like to share your experiences in public, feel free to leave a comment, or post a review on the public service review site Yelp

Mercy on an Orphan?

Mile High fights back ...

Readers may remember, when Metro Taxi argued against allowing Mile High Cab's owner/operators from starting their own cab business in Denver -- with lower fares and better service -- they claimed Denver already had too many cabs on the road.

Artist's Representation: Mile High Cab attorney
Tom Russell at work in the courtroom

Then it turns Metro Taxi admitted they didn't know how many drivers they had on the road at any one time, admitting that many of their drivers may be violating, or have violated, the so-called "80-in-8" rule against drivers spending more than 80 hours behind the wheel in eight days.  Yellow Cab also has admitted to the same charges.

So if the honchos at Metro Taxi believe there are enough cabs on the road already, maybe it's because they have legions of sleepy, overworked drivers out there struggling to pay their weekly lease rate.  Yellow Cabs adds to the oversupply, but they have had the decency not to argue that there are too many cabs--perhaps because Yellow Cab has asked the PUC to give them another 150 cabs!

Mile High Cab's attorney, Tom Russell, has filed a motion with the Public Utilities Commission asking the Commissioners to disregard all the testimony that there are too many cabs on the street.  Either the companies opposing Mile High Cab don't know how many are on the road, or it's their own fault that they are out there.

As Russell concludes: "Like the young man who murders his parents and then pleads for mercy because he is an orphan, Metro Taxi should not benefit from its arguments that the taxi market is oversupplied when Metro Taxi has admitted not limiting its drivers' hours and therefor has placed the equivalent of additional taxis on the road."

He adds: "Likewise, Mile High Cab should not be denied entry into the market because Yellow Cab of Colorado has also violated hours-of-service limitations during the time when Metro Taxi has been claming that there are too many taxis on the road ... Mile High Cab, Inc., prays the Commissioners to disregard theis evidence as the fruit of misrepresentation."

Denver Business Journal on Senators' Entry to Fray

Article highlights political turn ...

This week's Denver Business Journal spotlights the growing political support for the independent owner/operators at Mile High Cab and their bid to compete in the Denver taxi market. The drivers cooperative wants to compete against the four existing companies by offering better service and lower fares.

Penry, Romer say taxi ruling goes against legislative intent


Denver Business Journal - by Cathy Proctor

Two state senators dispute a decision by a Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) judge denying a Denver company’s bid to start a new cab company.

Sens. Josh Penry, G-Grand Junction, and Chris Romer, D-Denver, say PUC administrative law judge Paul Gomez was wrong when he denied Mile High Cab Co.’s application in mid-July. Both lawmakers were involved in 2008 legislation to spur competition in the Denver taxi market.

Gomez’s decision declared that Denver already has enough cabs and that adding more wouldn’t serve the public interest.

But the judge’s ruling goes against the intent of a 2008 law designed to make it easier for new cab companies to start, Penry and Romer said in letters sent to the PUC in response to Gomez’s decision. That law required applicants to show financial and operational abilities, striking down requirements that applicants prove a public need.

You can link to the full article here.

BadTaxi! From the Files of the PUC

BadTaxi! is an occasional series from Mile High Cab. While a Colorado Public Utilities Commission administrative law judge says the five-county metro area is already adequately served by existing Taxi companies, the PUC’s own files show things could be better. Much better.

The following complaint is a real example written by a real taxi customer. Every file in this series is taken directly from the Files of the PUC.

On July 20, 2010, a customer called in a complaint regarding Metro Cab, one of four companies a judge has ruled provide Front Range residents with acceptable service.

The customer got out of a shuttle bus and into a waiting Metro Cab. Inside the cab, on his way home, the customer asked the driver to stop by a fast food restaurant so he could get something to eat. According to the complaint, the “driver refused and told the customer to get out of his cab. Customer thought the driver was joking and the driver said he was busy and wanted him to get out of the cab.” The driver ended up returning the customer to the pickup location and left him there.

The customer in this case is blind.

Metro Taxi’s own website says “Safety First” and “Courtesy A Close Second,” boasting “Metro Taxi drivers go above and beyond the call of duty when servicing their calls.”

Putting a blind customer out in the middle of a parking lot is safe? Refusing to take a paying customer where he wants to go (a fast food restaurant) is going “above and beyond the call of duty?”

Bad service is bad service. Leaving someone in a dangerous position is not safe.

You don’t have to put up with bad service. Take a stand. If you’ve had a bad experience in a Denver cab, let the PUC know and demand an investigation. You can call investigators at (800) 456-0858 or email a complaint to PUCConsumer.Complaints@dora.state.co.us

You can let the PUC know you want the lower fares and better service offered by the owner/operators of Mile High Cab. Ask the PUC to hear Mile High Cab’s case and let them compete in a Denver market that can only get better when drivers compete to earn your trust. Write to Director Doug Dean at Doug.Dean@dora.state.co.us and reference Mile High Cab, docket number 08A-407CP.

And if you'd like to share your experiences in public, feel free to leave a comment, or post a review on the public service review site Yelp

An Interesting Take on Competition

Blogger Joshua Sharf for Red State on the taxi situation ...

Sharf, A Republican running for State House District 6 (Denver), has reviewed the debate over keeping Mile High Cab drivers out of the market, just because the existing companies would have to compete.

The effect of competition, he says, might be ... dare we say, "Good?"

Here's his take on why the Colorado Public Utilities Commission might want to review an administrative law judge's ruling against letting Mile High Cab into the market:

"With control over the number of available cabs, the fares, and the lease arrangements, the PUC has done little more than to discredit (once again) the idea of central planning. The right answer is to remove the PUC's control of all three elements, and let normal market forces work their magic. If Yellow Cab or Metro Cab drivers find they can't make their leases, Yellow Cab and Metro Cab will find themselves with fewer drivers. Some drivers will leave to join Mile High Cab. I can certainly see where Mile High Cab could even work with finance companies to help refugees from Yellow and Metro who want to work, but who haven't yet set aside enough cash to buy a car. Read his full analysis of the issue here. And you can learn more about Joshua Sharf and his campaign here.

Thank You Senator Harvey!

Another elected official standing up for his constituents ...

Colorado State Senator Ted Harvey becomes the latest elected official to represent his constituents by asking the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to hear the case of Mile High Cab.

Sen. Harvey writes, to the PUC board:

September 7, 2010

The Honorable Ron Binz
The Honorable James Tarpey
The Honorable Matt Baker

Chairman and Members of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission
1560 Broadway Suite 250
Denver, Colorado 80202

Re: Mile High Cab, Inc.

Dear Commissione Binz,Tarpey and Baker:

I have reviewed the decision in the Matter of Mile High Cab Inc. rendered by Administrative Law Judge Paul Gomez.

Judge Gomez I am certain is a dedicated public servant. However, his decision with respect to this matter I believe is contrary to the intent of the Legislature.

In passing Legislation in 2008 and 2009 the Legislature wanted to open up competition in the cab industry. As a Senator from Douglas County I want my constituents to have more not fewer public transportation options. Currently, it's very difficult to obtain a cab in Douglas County. More competition that benefits communities such as the one I represent is what my colleagues and I in the Legislature intended.

Thank you

Ted Harvey
State Senator

Harvey Letter

On The Air!

In case you missed it ...

Mile High Cab was the topic of John Caldara's radio program on 850 KOA.

The discussion went on for more than an hour, as Mr. Caldara just couldn't believe how a Public Utilities Commission bureaucrat could find that the experienced drivers for Mile High Cab are capable and financially able to run a new cab company. But that competition would be somehow "bad" for consumers.

Take a listen, the broadcast is in two parts. The first part features Mr. Caldara talking about a Washington Times article about the topic and taking calls. Listen here.


And the second part features Mile High Cab attorney Tom Russell. Listen here.

If You Just Heard Us On 850 KOA ...

And you want to write to the PUC ... 

If you think competition is good for the market and lower fares are better for you, Contact Mr. Doug Dean, Director of the Public Utilities Commission

At ... Doug.Dean@dora.state.co.us

Make your voice heard! And follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

If you missed the show, listen to the podcast.

And here is part two of the podcast.  (The first twelve minutes is Jon Caldara's conversation with Mile High Cab's lawyer.)

Mile High Cab in the Nation's Capital!

The issue goes in front of national leaders

Our story captured the attention of a writer for The Washington Times, one of two paid daily newspapers in Washington, DC.

This proves that the fight for more competition, better working conditions for drivers and better service and lower fares for consumers is bigger than Denver. This is a story about the American Dream and about fair and free competition.

There's an image of the front page of the Sept. 6, 2010 front page here on the right.

And below is part of the article.

Don't forget, if you want fairer working conditions for cab drivers, and better prices and service for consumers, especially those in areas outside of downtown Denver, tell the Public Utilities Commission how you feel. Write an email to the PUC Director, Mr. Doug Dean, at Doug.Dean@dora.state.co.us.

Immigrant cabbies' startup plan hits bureaucratic curb in Denver

By Christian Toto

-

The Washington Times

DENVER | All Colorado cabdriver Edem "Archie" Archibong wants is to fulfill the next stage in his immigrant success story — to start his own business.

But Colorado's heavily regulated taxi industry isn't cooperating, causing some local politicians to ask why government is getting in the way of the free-market system.

Mr. Archibong, a Nigerian native and married father of two, came to the U.S. legally in 1977. He joined the Army, where he worked as an optical technician and later started driving a cab to support his family. In 2008, he helped lead a group of 150 Denver-area cabdrivers, many of them legal African immigrants, with plans to start a taxi company called Mile High Cab to serve five Denver-area counties.

In July, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC), which oversees the local taxi industry, ruled that Mr. Archibong's startup had its financial house in order. The entrepreneurs pooled their collective savings to start the company, eschewing cumbersome bank loans.

But the PUC said Mile High Cab would hurt the public interest.

"While choice is generally a good thing in a market, nevertheless, overcapacity still looms as an issue," the PUC determined.

"Competition is good for us, good for the industry and good for the public, as well," counters Mr. Archibong, 57.

Read the rest of the story, click here. 

Great Letters, Keep 'Em Coming!

Thanks to everyone who is standing up for better Taxi service ...

Wow, this is great, people are writing to the Public Utilities Commission to point out the need for the better service, lower prices and better working conditions Mile High Cab is proposing.

One letter is from a former Metro driver who is being squeezed out of Denver. He's moving to a town where it's easier to make a living: NewYork City!? Something's wrong with this picture.

You can write, too. Contact PUC Director Doug Dean and ask him to review the Mile High Cab application. Support better working conditions, better service and lower prices. Write to Mr. Dean at Doug.Dean@dora.state.co.us

Former Metro driver Mark Fossey writes:

I have lived here in Denver since I was 3 years old. I am moving to New York City soon to seek my fortune on Broadway and in cab driving. I drove for Metro Taxi from 1996-2002. When the lease on the cab and the price of cab increased my expenses by almost $1,000 per month I had to quit driving taxis. I was not willing to work forty hours just to cover costs. The only hours that go into a driver's pocket are hours after 40 ... I have been waiting for over a year to go back to cab driving, since MIle High was promising affordable leases. Since they are not going to get the approval of the PUC, I have decided to give a real cab town (NYC) a shot ... Perhaps something will change between then and now, perhaps I can stay here in the city that I love the most.

And here's another letter, Mile High member, Amin Said, who sums the whole thing up beautifully. He's not asking for a handout, just a chance to compete in a fair, open market.

My name is Amin and I am a member of Mile High Cab Inc. All we are asking is just for an opportunity. This is a country where dreams come true and the sky has no limit. We are not asking for anything else except for a license from the (Public Utilities Commission). We just want more competition with other companies. 

Keep those letters coming. If you want change, you have to ask for it. All it takes is a letter. Let your voice be heard.

Another Civic Leader for Mile High Cab

Aurora needs Mile High Cab, Councilman says ... 

Ryan Frazier, Aurora City Council Member
and candidate for Congress

Wow, seems our civic leaders who live in our communities and talk with their constituents know the real score: The five-county Denver metro area needs a cab company that offers better service and lower fares. Read the letter below from Aurora City Councilman Ryan Frazier. He just sent it to the Public Utilities Commission. Like all of us, he's wondering why better service and lower fares is bad for consumers.

Thank you Councilman Frazier! And folks, you can make a difference, too. Contact your elected representatives, ask them to step up and call on the PUC to hold a full hearing on Mile High Cab. And while you're at it, send a note to Mr. Doug Dean, director of the PUC, at Doug.Dean@dora.state.co.us


Here's Councilman Frazier's powerful letter.


The Honorable Ron Binz
The Honorable James Tarpey
The Honorable Matt Baker
Chairman and Members of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission
1560 Broadway, Ste. 250
Denver, Colorado 80202


Re: Mile High Cab, Inc. Docket 08A-407CP Decision #R-10-0745


Dear Commissioner Binz, Tarpey and Baker:


I am an At-Large member of the Aurora City Council. I have reviewed the application of Mile High Cab, Inc., the decision by Judge Gomez and the response to the decision filed by Mile High Cab, Inc.


Mile High Cab, Inc. will provide services that are badly needed to my constituents. It is extremely difficult to get a cab to come to either residences or businesses in Aurora. This makes it difficult for seniors to get to and from their doctor’s appointments or shop for groceries. It poses a safety problem as those who have had too much to drink are unable to get cab service. Mile High’s proposal of more cabs with lower fares and no charges for extra passengers will fill a void that exists in Aurora.


I have reviewed the decision in the matter of Mile High Cab, Inc. rendered by Administrative Law Judge Paul Gomez. I believe that the decision is erroneous and should be reversed by the full Public Utilities Commission. It is in the best interest of the public that you approve this application. Judge Gomez’s own decision states that this group has the management capability and financial resources to do the job. Competition is, by definition, good and this application should be approved.


If I can answer any questions you have with respect to the impact on the City of Aurora please do not hesitate to contact me.


Thank you,
Ryan L. Frazier
Council Member, At-Large
City of Aurora, CO
Cc: Doug Dean, Executive Director, Public Utilities Commission

frazierletter

Another Candidate for Fair Competition

Big thanks to GOP Candidate Tyler Kolden ...

Mr. Kolden, in a race for State Senate District 32, running against incumbent Sen. Chris Romer (who has also spoken up on behalf of Mile High Cab's press for fair competition in Denver's taxi market). That's Mr. Kolden on the right with one of Mile High's directors.

Mr. Kolden, a Republican, wirtes in a letter to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission and Direct Doug Dean:

Mr. Dean,

I recently spoke with a number of members of the Mile High Cab organization and they shared with me their current plight. According to the judge they were operationally and managerially fit to operate but their application was denied because more taxi competition would hurt the public interest.

The task of the PUC is to ensure honest and open competition for the benefit of competitors and the public they serve. As a candidate for Senate District 32, I strongly encourage you to review the Mile High Cab case with that perspective.

Thank you,
Tyler Kolden
Candidate for Senate District 32
Email: tyler@votekolden.com
Phone: 720-239-2175
Website: http://votekolden.com

You can speak up and have your voice heard, too. It's easy. Mile High Cab is a cooperative of owner/drivers who want to create a new cab company. They promise lower fares and better service for customers, and a fair shake for drivers. A PUC administrative judge ruled they have the financial backing and are qualified, but he denied them a license because the competition could hurt the other, big companies (one, Yellow, is owned by a multi-billion-dollar French conglomerate!)

Mile High Cab doesn't want a government loan or special favors. The drivers just want to be allowed to compete. When drivers and consumers get a better deal, how can that be bad for Denver?

Tell PUC Director Doug Dean you want the PUC to let Mile High Compete. Write to him at Doug.Dean@dora.state.co.us

Political Might Behind Mile High Cab

Politicians are taking notice ... You are making a difference

On Sept. 2, Colorado State Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry weighed in on the plight of Mile High Cab's owner/operators. Sen. Penry told the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in no uncertain terms that an administrative law judge's ruling against competition and consumer benefits should be reviewed. Read the Senator's letter, then get involved yourself, ask PUC Director Doug Dean to hear Mile High Cab's case. Email him at Doug.Dean@dora.state.co.us.

Here is Sen. Penry's letter. Thank you, Senator, for standing up for fair and open competition, for better consumer service and pricing, and against monopolists and protectionism.
---------------------------


Re: Mile High Cab, Inc. 08A-407CP

Dear Commissioners:

I sponsored an amendment to House Bill 08-1227 that changed the application process for taxi cabs and opened the door for greater competition in the taxi cab industry. The amendment, which passed with the support and assistance of other legislators including Sen.Chris Romer, was meant to ease the entrance of taxi companies into the Denver market.

The ruling by Administrative Law Judge Paul Gomez to deny Mile High Cab's application to operate in Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties goes against the intent of this 2008 legislation. Our intent with the legislation was to increase competition for the benefit of consumers, allowing greater choice and more efficient taxi cab service in the metro area.We viewed increased competition as beneficial to the public interest, not detrimental to it, as Judge Gomez ruled. We intended for more taxi cab companies to be approved to operate in the metro area to provide this competition, so long as they could prove they were operationally and financially fit to provide taxi services.

I hope the Public Utilities Commission will take this information into consideration as it reviews Mile High Cab's application to operate in Denver. The task of the PUC is to ensure honest and open competition for the benefit of competitors and the public they serve, not to perpetuate the strength and market share of aspiring monopolists.

Sincerely,

Josh Penry

State Senator

Senate District 7

Penry Letter to PUC