Westlake Halves Price of Dial-a-Ride Taxi Service
The cost of rides in a new city-subsidized taxi service in Westlake Village has been cut in half by officials who say the program is gaining acceptance.
City Council members voted unanimously Wednesday night to reduce passengers’ cost to 50 cents a trip. They also agreed to extend the 3-month-old program through next June 30.
The council acted after City Manager James E. Emmons reported that use of the dial-a-ride service by senior citizens and handicapped residents had increased from 20 riders in May, when the program was launched, to 102 in July.
He said the city subsidy in July was $372, well below the projected city cost of $2,025 a month. Funds for the service come from the city’s share of Los Angeles County’s Proposition A, the extra half-cent sales tax voters approved in 1980 to pay for transportation projects.
The service is operated by Thousand Oaks Cab Co. Emmons said the firm has received high marks from dial-a-ride users polled at random by the city.
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