Taxi services raise rates in response to skyrocketing gas prices
Gas prices remain well above $4 per gallon in Mount Pleasant as local transportation services respond to the spike with increased fares.
Prices ranged from $4.15 to $4.17 per gallon in the area as of Monday, according to gasbuddy.com, a website that tracks the industry's daily prices from city to city.
Mid-Michigan is dealing with higher gas prices than the southern portion of the state. In Detroit on Monday, prices were as low as $3.84 and in Grand Rapids, the lowest was $3.91.
Chippewa Cab & Limo, 1608 N. Fancher Ave., has been forced to adjust what it charges to riders, said manager Brian Lombard.
"We had to raise our rates," he said. "It's pretty costly to run a cab business."
Fares now stand at $3.50 per mile in Mount Pleasant, but different cities served in mid-Michigan have different rates, Lombard said.
Chad Kandaris, owner of Ride Safe Taxi, 314 S. Brown St., said the service plans to increase its daytime flat rate from $5 to $6 within the next couple weeks. The nighttime flat will remain at $5 for one person and $3 for two or more.
The flat rate is the cost of a trip as a whole and not per mile.
"We still haven't raised our prices yet," Kandaris said. "You don't really need to raise it when you're getting a good quantity of people."
With higher gas prices in effect, Chippewa Cab & Limo aims to capitalize on special rates offered to riders who wish to travel to specific businesses, Lombard said. The transportation service offers $1 discounts to riders whose destination is Rubbles or the Bird Bar & Grill in downtown Mount Pleasant, Los Aztecas Mexican Restaurant on East Bluegrass Road or Crankers Coney Island on East Pickard Street.
Lombard is not dismissing rumors that gas prices could shoot up to more than $5 per gallon this summer and said there is always the possibility it could happen.
"It's definitely going to get higher," he said.
