FLORENCE, S.C.(WBTW)-A proposed ordinance could be a good thing for Florence county taxi drivers.
“The way things going up, everything is going up, we do need a raise,” said Charley Russell.
Charley Russell has been a taxi driver for almost twenty years but in the last several years he says he doesn’t think he’s been fairly paid.
Charley Russell has been a taxi driver for almost twenty years but in the last several years he says he doesn’t think he’s been fairly paid.
“We maybe got a $0.75 raise to a dollar raise in the last five years.”
City council and taxi drivers say Florence is just too small of an area to operate off of a meter system which is why taxis have to operate off zoning prices but those prices haven’t been adjusted since 2003 and city council members say this new ordinance will make pricing more fair.
“The taxi drivers have come to the table and said this is what we want so we are excited to be able to offer the taxi community that works hard for our citizens and the city of Florence, the rates that they want and the infrastructure they need to serve a larger area by updating this map,” said Robby Hill, council member.
Robby Hill says this ordinance is long overdue and something that has to happen once a city grows.
“I think that updating a map for taxi drivers is just part of having growth in your city. You have to update a map to reflect changes that have happened in the growth in city limits and new residences and new businesses that come that just happen organically as we grow the city of Florence.”
There are four zones in the city of Florence with rates running from $3.75 to $8.50. If council passes the new ordinance rates would increase to between$ 4.50 and $15.25. Russell says he agrees with hill that rates need to change as the current rates make it hard for him to make a living.
“With the raise we are asking for, i wouldn’t have to work seven days a week, maybe i wouldn’t have to pull money from some other place to do the maintenance on it.”
And even though Russell gets worn down just like his van does, he says he loves his job and knows the people of Florence are counting on him.
“Just taking people places, where they need to go, what they need to do, so I can help them.”
City council will have the first reading on the ordinance Monday and it will be discussed again in April. If passed in April, the ordinance would go into effect immediately.