Red Bank taxi rates could climb to cover rising costs

Olivia Liu, Asbury Park Press
·2 min read

RED BANK - Could intra-borough taxi rates in this town nearly double? That's what the Borough Council has proposed, to keep up with rising costs.

For one or two passengers traveling within the west side of town or within the east side of town, prices may increase from $3.75 to $6. For one or two passengers traveling from one side of town to the other, prices may increase from $4.25 to $7. The dividing street is Maple Avenue, also known as Route 35. Each additional passenger will be charged $1.

If the taxi has to wait for the passenger, the wait time charge has increased from $22 per hour to $28 per hour.

Richard Roderick with Red Bank Yellow Car had previously brought a request for rate adjustment to the borough council.

The expanded Count Basie Theater (center bottom), and the town surrounding it, are shown along Monmouth Street in Red Bank Thursday, January 2, 2019.
The expanded Count Basie Theater (center bottom), and the town surrounding it, are shown along Monmouth Street in Red Bank Thursday, January 2, 2019.

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While some towns do not set rates for taxi companies, Red Bank and a number of Shore towns set rates for trips within their municipalities.

Darren McConnell, interim business administrator, said the new rates were chosen to match what other towns were setting. He said Red Bank’s new rates were lower than Long Branch and Belmar’s rates, but were higher than Asbury Park’s.

“The rate I suggested in the taxi ordinance is right in the middle of everyone else,” he said. “(Asbury Park has not) adjusted their rate in a number of years, so I anticipate they probably will at some point in their future.”

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Red Bank resident Sue Viscomi asked if the borough could review its rates regularly so company owners wouldn’t need to proactively approach the borough to ask for rate increases.

“There are so many people in this town that really rely on taxis and the taxi cabs, obviously need to make sure they … have enough money to keep their service going.”

The borough voted unanimously to introduce changes to the ordinance with a two-year review Wednesday night. The final vote for the ordinance will take place on Nov. 22.

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Olivia Liu is a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at oliu@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Red Bank NJ Borough Council proposes raising taxi rates within town