New bills aimed at taxis, ride-hailing companies introduced to Honolulu City Council

Mayor Kirk Caldwell said a bill he submitted Thursday to the Honolulu City Council will “level the playing field” for ride-hailing companies and traditional taxicab companies.

Meanwhile, Councilman Trevor Ozawa introduced his own measure, Bill 43, which requires all private transportation companies to provide more information to passengers.

Taxi companies like Charley’s, TheCab and EcoCab have all raised objections to policies of upstart transportation companies that don’t abide by the same rules taxicabs have followed for decades.

The bills come on the heels of Caldwell’s veto Tuesday of Bill 35, which mandates a cap on how much ride-hailing companies can charge during peak hours. Uber and Lyft drivers objected to the bill, arguing a cap would disrupt their business model. Traditional taxi companies, however, were unhappy about Caldwell’s veto.

It’s unclear if Council members, who approved Bill 35 by a 6-3 vote, will try to override the veto. An override requires six votes.

Instead of capping the amount ride-hailing companies can charge, Caldwell’s new proposal, which had yet to be stamped as a numbered bill Thursday, strips away traditional taxi regulations and lets cabbies operate in the same manner as Uber and Lyft drivers.

It allows taxicab companies or drivers to either provide a fixed, upfront cost similar to Uber and Lyft drivers, or stick to the traditional method of using taxi meters that calculate fares based on mileage and time that’s set by the city Customer Services director. A new “all in” ceiling or taxi meters would also factor in surge pricing or other costs, city administration officials said.

The new bill also requires disclosure of any total ride fare in advance so customers can accept or reject their rides based on that information.

“Honolulu residents and visitors alike should have a choice in transportation options,” Caldwell said, in a news release.

The bill further requires taxis or ride-hailing companies to place easily visible company identification showing that they are certified.

Ozawa’s bill, introduced and stamped Thursday, focuses on ensuring transparency for the passenger.

It requires that all private transportation companies that want to set a total fare disclose the amount to passengers prior to confirmation of the ride.

It eliminates taxicab certification numbers but keeps the existing requirement that traditional taxi drivers provide passengers with a receipt, when requested, showing all fares and charges, the name of the driver, a telephone number for the company and telephone number at the city for dealing with complaints.

It makes no mention of “surge pricing,” the practice of charging more during peak hours.

Councilwoman Kymberly Pine, who lobbied for Bill 35, said she’s tired of hearing from passengers who’ve had to pay exorbitantly during peak hours when they are most vulnerable.

Pine said she had not yet seen the mayor’s proposal but is glad the administration is willing to consider some of the ideas that she and other Council members had offered earlier that the mayor did not support.

Pine said the taxi companies have estimated that more than 1,000 cab drivers have lost their jobs or businesses or their homes due to Uber and Lyft.