Administration and Regulatory Affairs

Press Release

City Of Houston Seeks Feedback From Taxicab Customers

Surveying Customers As Part Of Comprehensive Taxicab Industry And Regulation Review

September 26, 2013 -- The City of Houston is working with the Taxi Research Partners to review Houston’s taxi services. The study team has been asked to determine public views of Houston's taxi services and other similar transportation. Input from the public will inform the City’s policy and development of services. The public’s view is a crucial part of this analysis.

Chris Newport is with the Administration & Regulatory Affairs Department, which regulates vehicles for hire in the City of Houston and is the department conducting the industry review: "Customer experience information is absolutely invaluable to the policy formation process. The study we have engaged, of which this survey is an important piece, reflects the fact that we are looking to guide future regulations based on evidence and observed experiences. Houstonians can really play a key part in our policy-making by taking a few short minutes to tell us about their recent experiences with taxicabs and other commercial transportation. Taxicabs are an important foundation for our public transportation network in Houston, and we want it to be as vibrant and responsive to customers as possible."

Survey questions address key issues in the supply and use of taxis, passenger experiences, and are critical to continuing the development of a world-class taxi service for Houston. The survey should take between 5-7 minutes to complete. The Taxi Research Partners team has started work by conducting a pedestrian survey, as well as an on-line page available at:

https://tinyurl.com/HoustonTaxi or at https://www.taxiresearch.org/Taxi_Research_Partners/Houston.html (links have been disabled)

Completing the survey is very important to determining services into the future. The more members of the public participate in the survey, the more accurate a view may be reached.

Media inquiries regarding scope, goals, and timeline of the study can be addressed to Newport. Inquiries regarding survey methodologies, design, and status may be addressed to:

James Cooper, Taxi Research Partners

james@taxiresearch.org

Tel: 1-202-407-9723