Although originally scheduled for consideration by the City Council tonight, a local man’s proposal for a one-cab taxi company will likely be deferred to a later meeting.
Mike Roach said not enough alders have committed to approving his application, so he wanted the process delayed.
Roach’s controversial proposal spurred debate over a city policy that mandates taxicab operators provide services 24 hours a day for seven days a week. Roach claims the law is illegal, and allows the three main cab companies — Madison Taxi, Badger Cab and Union Cab — to collaborate on rate increases.
“The government is protecting for-profit companies and that is wrong,” Roach said.
Some city staffers have gone on record against Roach’s plan for his one-man operation, Kwik Cab.
Bill Knobeloch, who oversees licensed cab companies for the city’s Transportation Department, told the Capital Times Roach does not meet the standards of a successful candidate because he has been fired from Madison Taxi, Badger Cab, Union Cab and Evergreen Transport, a local paratransit company.
“He’s been fired by four companies,” Knobeloch said. “I don’t know anyone who has that record.”
A memo from city traffic engineer David Dryer to the Transportation and Parking Commission reportedly said Roach was fired for reasons such as sloppy paperwork, driving without a valid license and complaints from passengers regarding his driving and arrogant attitude.
Roach maintains his termination from the four companies stems from his stance against the city’s taxi regulation.
“It was nothing serious, there were not criminal complaints,” he said. “No drug sales, I didn’t beat anyone up. It was frivolous.”
Roach said he wants to go into business for himself because he can offer a “very unique personal service that currently is unavailable.”
“Why do I need a boss to drive a cab?” Roach asked. “I wasn’t making enough money. I wanted to go into business for myself and be my own boss.”
Peter Carstensen, UW-Madison law professor specializing in anti-trust and anti-competition law, said the city’s 24-7 law, which city officials say is needed to ensure customers are able to call a cab service at any time of day, is an unnecessary regulation.
He said supporters of the law want customers to be able to contact a cab company with only one phone call.
“It’s not obvious to me why having every cab company operating 24-7 is equivalent to public safety,” Carstensen said. “It’s a silly requirement. People are capable of opening a phone book and seeing who’s open.”
To alleviate the problem of 24-7 service, Roach plans to have a call-forwarding system ensuring any calls placed to Kwik Cab after hours would be forwarded to another Madison cab company.
