PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -
The city of Portland is looking to boost the number of taxis on the road, but not all cab drivers are happy about it.
The City of Portland Revenue Bureau announced its recommendation for approval of 132 new taxi permits for four taxi companies.
The bureau received applications from six current and three proposed new cab companies requesting a total of 257 new taxi permits. The current fleet in Portland is 382 taxis.
The bureau's recommendation is to add one new company with 50 taxis and issue 80 permits to existing companies to be phased in gradually over three years.
Portland taxi drivers are vowing to launch a series of public demonstrations to protest the decision.
The Cabdrivers Alliance of Portland Oregon said the new permits would cut into their income because of a 35 percent loss of market share to new competition.
The organization said the city's revenue bureau was secretive in their plans for evaluating the permit requests.
The bureau said its recommendation for a new taxi company is based on an analysis of demand for taxis in Portland, along with a range of criteria including available public transportation and the ratio of population to the number of available cabs.
The recommendation for additional permits for existing local cab companies, according to the bureau, was based on each company's ability to demonstrate they had an unmet demand for service.
The bureau's recommendations have been forwarded to the Private-for-Hire Transportation Board of Review for consideration during meetings on Sept. 26 and Oct. 10.
If that board approves the recommendations, the existing companies may add new cabs to their fleets.
The Portland City Council would then hold a public hearing and decide whether to approve the new taxi company.
The Cabdrivers Alliance said the Transportation Board is not obligated to follow the Revenue Bureau's recommendation.
The drivers said they will decide in the days ahead where and when to launch street demonstrations in Portland to protest the recommendations.
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