City Planning Overhaul of Duluth Cab Regulations

DULUTH - Duluth is looking to overhaul the taxi business within city limits.  The administration told FOX 21 Thursday the city's standards are the lowest in the Twin Ports area, and it's time to fix that in the sake of safety and the city's image, as FOX 21's Dan Hanger reports.

Cabs, taxis -- whatever you call them, it's form of transportation you'll find in cities big and small. But for Duluth, there's a problem.

"The reality is, right now, there are not a whole lot of regulations on cab companies and we want to make sure there's at least that standard that's met," explained Daniel Fanning, a city spokesman for Mayor Don Ness' office.

Fanning says the administration, councilors, police chief and county attorney are all working together to form an up-to-date regulation system for current cab companies and future ones.

"Really for years, the city has been hearing our need to adjust and simply bring up our standards of the cab companies," Fanning said.

The city is looking at neighboring communities like Superior, Cloquet and even St. Paul and New York to see how they regulate drivers and the cab companies they work for.

"We are not looking to put anybody out of business. What we are looking to do is ask cab companies to realize that they represent the city of Duluth and we want to be represented well," Fanning said.

That means solid background checks for drivers, vehicle safety checks, not allowing vehicles more than five or 10 years to be in service, and common courtesy items like no smoking in a vehicle.

"Most of the cab companies we've talked to are on with this, and the ones that aren't know that they are not because they aren't adhering to the standards that is all over the country, quite frankly," Fanning said.

It's a sign of the transportation times that the city says is way overdue for Duluth and is much needed as the city continues to grow.

"We are simply looking to up our standards to make sure Duluth and tourists coming into the city have a safe and comfortable ride," Fanning said.

All the powers that be will put their heads together next spring to form a proposed regulation system.

The city council will then vote on it.