Waikiki cab ride problem not for government to fix

With tourism as the be all and end all for Hawaii’s economic well-being, no wonder businesses, government agencies and industry investors constantly troll for ways to enhance  the “visitor experience.”

For tourism, expansive land spaces and shorelines are given over and industry enterprises receive generous revenue concessions, tax-backed initiatives and super-keen attention from policy-makers and elected officials.

Everyone is just trying to keep the customer satisfied.

To that end, the proprietors of Waikiki hotels want to eliminate the vast uncertainty and risks that come with taking a cab from the airport to temporary lodgings, so much so that they’re seeking legislative relief from the City Council.

Hotel owners want government to step in and force taxi drivers to charge a flat-rate fee for transport to their own little corner of Oahu because, as Outrigger Enterprises executive Max Sword recounted, visitors have complained “frequent-ly” about being taken for a ride. How frequently, he doesn’t say; neither does he provide data about overcharging cabbies.

He says government should set a “cap” because tourists get off airplanes not knowing how much the fare will be to their hotels and should “know exactly how much they’re going to be paying,” as if visitors arrive without enough cash on hand to cover cab rides.

Without acknowledging that there’s a major problem here, there are solutions that don’t involve putting another law on the books to be loosely enforced, if ever.

Amid their list of amenities on their websites — swimming pools, coin-operated laundry, ATMs, ice machines, free Wi-Fi, on-site shopping and luggage storage — hotel owners could tuck in an estimated cost of a cab ride. It would fit nicely right under the daily rate for guest parking.

When reservations come in, hoteliers can provide cab information or cheaper transportation options, maybe even book them for guests.

An exact amount for a cab ride can’t be determined because taxi drivers are allowed to take into account traffic jams in their fares, charging 45 cents for 45 seconds of delay, but tourists would certainly welcome a rough calculation.

With record profits as they raised their daily room rates to an average of more than $240 this year, hotel owners could also provide their own shuttles when guests request them and keep the money that would otherwise go to cabbies and outside shuttle operators.

At least one hotel operator has made a deal with a cab company for a flat rate from the airport. Other worried hoteliers could do the same without having to involve bureaucrats.

The bill before the Council curiously doesn’t not require a flat rate for tourists leaving Waikiki hotels to get back to the airport, which could draw tourist complaints if the charges differ greatly. That also gives the impression that after guests pay their hotel tabs, lodging proprietors don’t care what happens to them. Surely that’s not the case.

Businesses go to government for help with difficult and widespread problems, which is fine. But the hefty Waikiki hotel industry’s crying to mama over a minor snag shows a sad lack of imagination and resourcefulness.

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Cynthia Oi can be reached at coi@staradvertiser.com.