MONROE — City residents who rely on taxis to get to medical appointments or even to simply run errands have noticed that Monroe Cab Co. has been lacking recently.
But not because of its drivers, said resident Marjorie Stocker, 88, who uses the service frequently due to disability.
“The cab drivers have been so good,” Stocker said. “They’ll do anything for you.”
Drivers are afraid to speak up against unpaid overtime and low wages, she said. But she feels the problem could be fixed with more action by the company, bumping the pay upward in an economy where the unemployment rate is low to attract more workers and return the current drivers to 40 or fewer hours per week.
Stocker even pointed to the possibility of raising fares, which she doesn’t see as ideal, but would welcome if it meant her conversations with taxi drivers no longer included complaints of six-day weeks with no overtime pay and no benefits.
The taxi company is part of a ride-sharing service. Fares are set by the city.
Assistant City Administrator Sam Liebert said because the size of Monroe “is not big enough to justify public transport,” like a bus line, the subsidized taxi service acts as public transport for those in need of a method to get to places like the grocery store or the pharmacy.
Through grant applications to both state and federal programs, the city helps fund the shared-ride service. The Federal Formula Grant Program for Rural Areas supports operating expenses in areas designated as “non-urbanized,” which means cities with a population under 50,000. The grants are funded via the Public Transit Assistance Program.
Monroe Cab Co. was originally owned by Brown Cab Service Inc., which has “shared ride taxicab companies” in 11 cities throughout the state, from Monroe to Waupaca to Edgerton and Lake Mills, according to the company website. Brown Cab was purchased by Running Inc. transit services of Viroqua roughly five years ago, but oversight of the Monroe company remains under Brown Cab General Manager Karl Schulte.
The city entered into its latest contract with the taxi ride-share service four years ago. It is up for renewal this year, Liebert said. It approved a contract change in March 2016 to allow services on Sundays, something that had not been implemented previously.
Cab rates in 2018 held a $3.25 base rate for an adult, $2.25 for an elderly or disabled person and $2.50 for students. Outside the city limits cost $1.75 extra per mile and passengers add $1.75 each. Deliveries are $6.50; and after 10 p.m. all fare rates increased to $5, with a $2 surcharge for all trips originating outside city limits. Liebert believes rates will remain the same in 2019.
Liebert said he also sees how the unemployment rate has affected the cab company. He said the pay ranges from $9 to $10 per hour, which is hardly a luring figure for workers who can seek jobs in other industries throughout the city for a higher hourly rate during a time when employers are heavily seeking employees.
But Liebert said the city stands behind the service of the cab company.
“We’re definitely very supportive of them,” he said. “I don’t receive many complaints. They do a lot.”
Liebert said when complaints are reported to the city infrequently, it is mostly to express disappointment over a pick-up time running behind or riders who would prefer not to share their time in the cab with another person. But as a ride-share service, that’s just how it works, he noted.
Stocker said it is not simply that drivers are running behind. Sometimes a call goes unanswered by dispatch, other times the car doesn’t arrive until hours later.
Monroe Cab Co. Manager Jackie Ritschard twice declined to comment on the issue.
In an effort to increase staff, which should alleviate some of the problems, Liebert said the city intends to run a campaign to attract workers across social networks and a variety of sources to find people seeking work.
He also said in that company owners have expressed the likelihood of raises for employees in recent talks, but was unsure of the exact numbers. The increases could be effective as early as this month. Schulte could not be reached for more information.