Schenectady

The City Council wants to temporarily halt issuing medallions to operate cab companies while they explore possible ways to improve taxi service.

But the panel must first call for a public hearing — which they are expected to do on Monday — on what could be a 30-day moratorium.

The hearing would be held May 23.

Gary Derocher, who owns the Electric City taxi, appealed last week to city leaders to raise taxi cab rates to ensure he and other companies with cars on the road in Schenectady can keep the vehicles cleaner and offer affordable fares.

Specifically, he asked the governing body to raise fares cabbies received for the first half-mile from $1 to $4.50.

By comparison, the fares in Albany, which has designated zones, range from $4.50 to $6.25 for minimum charges.

Derocher, whose company is based in Scotia, said his fleet includes 16 taxis and employs 45 full-time drivers.

He worries that cab companies may see Schenectady as fertile ground because of the opening next year of the $480 million casino riverfront project.

"With the casino coming, everyone's going to want to bombard into this town," said Derocher.

Derocher also has reservations about the prospect of Uber Technologies Inc. being allowed to do business in the Capital Region.

"Uber scares you because this is your livelihood," he said.

At a press conference at the Capitol last October, Uber said it anticipates that expanding ride-sharing outside of New York City could bring 13,000 jobs to upstate, including 700 in Albany and Rensselaer counties. Uber's smartphone application links ride-seekers with drivers who use their own vehicles to transport customers for the company.

But for Uber to expand upstate, state legislation must account for transportation companies like Uber and Lyft Inc. in insurance law, vehicle and traffic law, general municipal law and transportation law. A proposal for this legislation is expected to be discussed by New York lawmakers in Albany during the final weeks of the 2016 session.

Currently the two companies are limited to the New York City area.

While many upstate mayors support the expansion, taxi companies are fighting it, saying Uber and Lyft shouldn't be given special regulations when they aren't subject to the same rules governing traditional cabs.

In a letter to the City Council, Derocher said "Schenectady needs affordable taxi service, but we need to make enough to keep the fleet presentable."

"We aren't looking to get Uber rates, we simply want to provide better service and transport people in nicer vehicles at a reasonable price," the letter states. "The appearance and quality of service of the fleet is in the hands of the City Council."

Derocher said during an interview that the starting fares cabbies receive in other places in the region have increased over the years while Schenectady's has stayed the same since 2001. As a result, Derocher said he is trying to expand into Albany and Saratoga Counties because they pay more.

"How can you afford to go out and buy a 2011 or 2012 taxi for $9,000 or $10,000 when you only get half the money as the other companies?" he said. "It's impossible."

The medallions, which are distributed by the police department's traffic services division, cost $250 per cab a year.

Derocher also complained that some of his competitors don't always follow the city's law, which puts companies like his — who follow the law — at a disadvantage.

Council members Vince Riggi and Leesa Perazzo said the city codes on taxi cabs may need some fine tuning.

The pair also lamented the rise in the number of one-person cab operations.

There are seven of those in the city out of 14 cab companies in Schenectady, according to police Lt. Tom Harrigan, who works with the department's traffic services division that oversees the operation of taxi cabs in the city.

The city code indicates that a cab company must be available 24 hours a day with a working phone.

But even if a company operates just one cab, the owner may have one or more drivers with a taxi or chauffeur license working for them, added Harrigan.

He said prospective cab owners who apply for medallions are checked to make sure they are not criminals and the vehicle must pass inspection by police before a medallion is issued.

So far this year, police have conducted two random spot checks of the cabs for any violations and plan to do at least two more, said Harrigan.

"We tend to see that they are following the rules," said Harrigan, adding there are three pending applications for a total of 14 medallions.

Riggi expressed concern with the condition of some of the cabs on the road.

"I think it's incumbent on the city to have a good fleet that is serviceable, looks good, and is clean because that reflects on city," said Riggi.

pnelson@timesunion.com • 518-454-5347 • @apaulnelson