Rideshare companies will have to pay a fee to pick up customers at Martha’s Vineyard Airport this year.
The Martha’s Vineyard Airport commission unanimously voted on Thursday, April 13, to impose a $3.50 fee for rideshare companies, like Uber or Lyft, per pickup at the airport.
The decision stems from an update to state law last November that allows municipal and county airports to impose a fee on rideshare companies, which used to be allowed only at airports operated by Massport.
This push by state Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Truro, and state Rep. Dylan Fernandes, D-Falmouth, was seen as a way to provide revenue to Cape and Islands airports.
This type of legislation was something smaller airports had been asking from the state for years, according to commission chair Bob Rosenbaum. He said the legislation now encompasses all airports that were not originally run by Massport.
Additionally, Rosenbaum told The Times, the updated law helps level the playing field for local taxi services, who need to pay a fee and apply for permitting from the airport. The legislation eliminated the disadvantage taxi companies were operating under compared with rideshare companies, Rosenbaum said. “Fair is what we like,” he said.
Representatives from Uber and Lyft were not immediately available for comment.
I only wish they would have better signage as to where people are supposed to meet their rides. A good amount of the time the people are waiting with all of their luggage in front of the terminal. Telling them they have to schlep everything over to the side of the terminal isn’t very conducive to a good tip. If you drive over to pick them up you get told by the police officer that you can’t be there. The officer doesn’t ask people waiting if they are waiting for a ride share though. I’ve asked and they agree the signage isn’t very good. If you are going to charge the people more at least help them get good service.
Cyr and Fernandes never saw a tax didn’t love. let’s do whatever we can to make it more expensive to live on the Vineyard. If they wanted to level the playing field for the taxi companies they could have eliminated their fares!
People who fly and Uber won’t notice the $3.50, the towns will.
I assume you meant fees.
Uber should pay fees and taxis should not.
Is that what you mean by level?
This levels the playing field for local taxi companies. Smaller airports were pushing for this for years. We have state legislators who pay attention to their constituents. And FYI-it’s not a tax.
We agree and are continually looking at better signage inside the terminal. Due to a poor original roadway design in front of the terminal we have adjusted several times to see what works and does not. Currently we have worked with ride shares to Geo Fence a location in the long term parking lot right out side baggage claim at the main terminal. We moved both taxi staging and ride shares away from the front of the terminal to help ease the flow.
Comments are closed.