BOSTON (WHDH) - Mayor Martin J. Walsh is hoping to reduce traffic in Boston by increasing taxes for ride-share companies operating in the city.
Walsh is taking aim at companies like Uber and Lyft, taxing them more when the ride is only for a solo passenger and reducing the tax for shared trips.
“One of the biggest concerns I hear every day is traffic on the streets and congestion on the streets and then another concern we have is the environment,” Walsh said. “This is an opportunity for us to raise fees on ride-sharing services that do individual rides to try and encourage cheaper trips if you take the pool.”
The law in Massachusetts would prohibit the ride-sharing companies from passing on the fees to consumers.
Drivers of traditional taxis think the tax increase is a good idea because the roads can often be swamped with ride-sharing drivers that are not familiar with the city.
However, Lyft and Uber are not on board. A Lyft spokesperson said they, too, want to reduce congestion, but they believe any extra tax should be added to all cars.
“Any proposal to increase fees only on rideshare, neglecting personal and commercial vehicles, could be detrimental to those who rely on Lyft and services like it for affordable and reliable rides,” a Lyft spokesperson said.
Uber shared a similar statement, saying, “We support the Mayor’s goal of implementing solutions to address climate change and congestion on our roads. Uber agrees that people should be incentivized to share rides but that all vehicles—personal cars, delivery trucks, taxis, and Uber—should pay to use roads.”
Some riders who enjoy how easy it is to catch a ride anywhere and everywhere worry the proposed plan could make things less convenient for them.
“There’s always unintended consequences,” one rider said. “I can’t predict what’s going to happen.”
Part of Walsh’s plan is to allocate the excess money coming in and use it toward environmentally-friendly projects.
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