Overview
- The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection has authorized a fuel surcharge that taxi drivers may add to fares because local AAA gas averages have met the city’s $5-per-gallon trigger.
- The surcharge is $1 for meter fares of $20 or less, $2 for fares from $20.01 to $40, and $3 for fares above $40.01, and it is applied to the fare before taxes, tolls, or extra fees.
- Drivers must post a printed notice of the surcharge in each cab next to the taxi fare rates sheet so passengers can see the added fee before paying.
- The measure is temporary and automatic: it stays in effect while both AAA’s current average and the month-ago average for the Chicago area remain at $5.00 or higher and ends when those averages fall below the threshold.
- Chicago used the same AAA-triggered surcharge earlier this year from June 1 to June 23, and riders should watch AAA’s Chicago-area averages to know when the fee may be removed or reactivated.