Greetings,
This email is from Mr. Jesus Lopez 2622 Federal Ave. Apt B El Paso, Texas, USA. I wanted to be understood that I am not speaking for any taxi company or taxi driver associations. In addition, I wanted to be understood that my comments in this email are not for the purpose of giving El Paso, Texas City Council the impression that its members need to hurry up and make more Vehicle For Hire Ordinance in order to continue to micro-manage members of the taxi industry in El Paso, Texas, USA.
Respectfully, I offer the opinion that a lot of what is wrong with the taxi industry in El Paso, Texas has to with the attempt of micro-managing the taxi industry by El Paso, Texas, USA city council.
Everything in this issue begins with “customer need”. Visitors from Mexico expect there to be available taxis waiting to offer them service at 6th Street and El Paso St. The same can be said for people at the El Paso International Airport, The Bridge of the Americas, Zaragoza bridge, and numerous other sites around El Paso, Texas. People of El Paso, Texas, USA would also like there to be available taxis should they ever need one. Therefore, there is a reason for the taxi industry to exist in El Paso, Texas, USA.
Unfortunately, the Vehicle For Hire of El Paso, Texas, USA is skewed in favor of the taxi service customer. Customer due have rights. All customers have the right to take an interest in purchasing a product and/or a service. As long as person is not denied a product or service because of Constitutional protected Rights no one has the right to demand a product or a service at a discounted price.
As of the date of this email taxi drivers are forced to charge ten year old prices by the City of El Paso Vehicle For Hire Municipal Code. In the discussion of UBER vs. El Paso Texas Taxi Drivers I have heard that UBER is offering value and quality customer service. I would have to disagree.
It is easy for me to see that UBER administration inspected the City of El Paso, Texas Vehicle For Hire Code and deliberately set their prices lower than the prices of El Paso, Texas, Taxi Drivers. It is bad enough these are ten year old prices. Now, many people in and around El Paso, Texas are of the impression that Taxi Drivers are charging more than they should be cause UBER is charging less.
When I said that City Council is part of the problem I meant that many potential and actual customers hear comments of members of El Paso, Texas City Council that leave these customers with the impression Taxi Drivers are doing something wrong. I am self-employed. I live in the Free Nation of the United States of America. I should have the right to charge whatever I want. In a true system of Free Market all sellers retain the right to set their own prices. Currently UBER can lower and raise their prices at will.
I believe in competition as long as it is fair competition. There is nothing fair about UBER being able to undercut my prices, while I do not have the opportunity to adjust my prices in order to compete with UBER. Vehicle For Hire Municipal Code of El Paso, Texas, USA orders Taxi Drivers under punishment of law to not charge less or more than the set rates on the taxi meter. I have no way of knowing UBER rates.
Drivers of UBER cars can park any where they want. Taxi Drivers in El Paso, Texas are limited to where they can park by City of El Paso, Texas Parking ordinances and Vehicle for hire ordinances. This is not fair competition.
I heard a Taxi Company owner tell city council that there is a need for Taxi regulations because of customer safety. The reality is that Taxi Company owners do not want to loose their customers. The customers of Taxi Companies are not the people in the general public looking for transportation services. The customers of Taxi Companies are Taxi Drivers.
Taxi Companies sell Taxi Stand use, business radio frequencies, Taxi Company recognizable car color scheme, and access to special accounts to Taxi Drivers. Taxi Drives are the ones who sell transportation services to the members of the general public.
If UBER is forced out of El Paso, Texas, USA Taxi Drivers who have gotten tired of being under the boot of Taxi Company owners will have no alternative to work as transpiration service providers. I have been in the taxi industry in El Paso, Texas for over 17 years. I would give a very low score to Taxi Company Owners because of their poor treatment of their business partners, Taxi Drivers.
Granted the majority of my customers are “rude dudes with bad attitudes” who believe that I exist to put up with their insults and rude comments. Most people when discussing taxi service mostly talk about the “bad attitude” of Taxi Drivers. If people dealt with what I have to deal with on a daily basis, they would understand the average attitude of Taxi Drivers. Working with the public is no picnic.
I believe that there are only two Vehicle For Hire Municipal Codes that are needed in El Paso Texas. One code would state that all Taxi Drivers must have in their Vehicles the following sign;
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CUSTOMER TO NEGOTIATE THE PRICE OF SERVICE WITH THE TAXI DRIVER BEFORE SERVICE IS STARTED.
ES LA RESPONSABILIDAD DEL CLIENTE ARRIEGLAR EL PRECIO DE EL SERVICIO CON EL CHOFER ANTES DE QUE COMIENCE EL SERVICIO
The second ordinance would state that all taxi drivers must fill out a 3 tier receipt once the price is negotiated which shows the start of service, end of service, name of driver, name of customer, and agreed price and offer a copy of this receipt to the customer before service has started.
I am willing to provide service with a smile. I am willing to work at winning the customer. I want to make money and I want to enjoy my day. I see no reason to confront bad attitude from customers. Working with the public is challenging. It is even more challenging when through the actions of City Council actual and potential customers are left with the impression that their rights are being infringed upon and therefore, they have the right to mistreat Taxi Drives.
Issues:
1. I am being forced to charge ten year old prices.
2. UBER is taking business from Taxi Drivers because they are undercutting Taxi Drivers prices that already are low to begin with
3. I am limited to where I can park and generate business.
4. Fees and fines that UBER drivers do not have to pay lower my income.
5. The State of Texas only requires an annual vehicle inspection for vehicles registered in the State of Texas. I have to pay and submit to a Taxi I operate for a city of El Paso, Texas inspection every four months. Not only am I losing money, I am also losing time, which is money for a Taxi Driver.
6. Being that I want to succeed, I have to keep my Taxi in a pleasing and attractive manner for the customer.
7. The customer controls my behavior because they can always tell me no. Because I want to make money, I have to find the way to win the customer.
8. Being UBER is undercutting 10 year old prices, UBER is making it difficult for al Taxi Drivers in El Paso, Texas to compete and maintain their customers.
9. UBER is helped in unfair competition by the City of El Paso by legally forcing Taxi Drivers to charge Ten Year Old prices.
10. The city of El Paso Texas government is also helping UBER in their unfair competition by legally restricting where Taxi Drivers in El Paso, Texas, USA can operate their Taxis.
11.By maintaining current Vehicle For Hire Municipal Code in El Paso, Texas the city of El Paso government is interfering with the “right to work and the right earn a living” of the Taxi Drivers by forcing Taxi Drivers in El Paso, Texas to stay associated with Taxi Companies whose owners are good at collecting the rent Taxi Drivers pay them, but poor at offering quality services to the Taxi Drivers who are associated with them.
I personally am at a loss why UBER has such a harsh attitude against Taxi Drivers. I would like to partner with UBER and operate my taxi under their corporate umbrella. In my business day, I am already out and ready to offer taxi services, I can very easily provide taxi services to UBER customers.
It is the UBER administration and ownership who do not want to partner with Taxi Drivers. I have no problem with UBER because they are exercising their Freedom, Liberty, and Independence in order to create a better service for the customer. Even though I know that this is what the USA is supposed to be about, I am confronted with the reality that my opportunities and advantages are limited by the restrictive Vehicle For Hire municipal code of the city of El Paso, Texas.
In addition, a person does not have to invest a lot time in internet research to see the poor customer service record that UBER has as a company. Therefore, I am shackled to ten year old prices, I am restricted as to where I can work, and I am forced to compete with UBER, which is using its billions to undercut Taxi Drivers prices to unsustainable levels, while their drives, who supposedly are subject to a rigorous background check, victimize members of the public.
Well, in closing I will state I which there truly was fairness in the world. By this I mean real fairness, not so called fairness shadowed by a lack of understanding of an industry and a lack of understanding of the people who work at making this industry a success.
Thank you for your time and attention. I wish you all well.
Sincerely,
Mr. J Lopez
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