Torrance to Fund Discount Taxicab Service for Seniors

Bowing to requests from many of Torrance’s senior citizens, the City Council unanimously approved a plan to provide city-subsidized taxi service for the elderly.

The taxi service, which is expected to start in April, was approved Tuesday night with the blessing of the Senior Citizens Council, a city advisory group.

Betsey Matthews, chairwoman of the group, said the program will be “very, very helpful to the seniors of Torrance,” and she expressed gratitude to the City Council.

City officials said the service, which was recommended in June by the city Department of Transportation, is in response to an increasing number of requests for better transportation for senior citizens.

$210,000 Budget

The annual budget would be about $210,000, with riders paying about 23% of the cost and the rest coming form the city’s share of state transportation money.

Senior citizens would pay $1.75 for tickets good for a one-way trip, with low-income residents paying 75 cents.

In an interview, Mayor Katy Geissert said that many senior citizens who cannot drive complain that taking the bus is too time-consuming.

“I think (the service) will be widely used,” she said.

The service would be provided by licensed cabs traveling within the city or outside the city to eight hospitals and to El Camino College. To control costs, the city plans to limit the service to 100 trips per day.

City Transit Manager Ray Schmidt said it has not been determined how many people will use the service, which is similar to services offered in Carson, Lomita, Whittier and Westlake Village.

The council allocated $52,515 to finance the program until the fiscal year ends June 30. The city will be reimbursed, with $40,195 from the city’s share of state transportation funds and $12,320 from ridership, Schmidt said.

The city receives $1.4 million annually in state transportation funds, Schmidt said.

Based on the 100-trip-a-day limit and an average trip costing $5.62, city officials estimate the program’s annual cost to be about $210,000. Ridership revenue is expected to be $49,275, according to a transportation committee report.

Under the service’s two-tiered fare system, senior citizens would qualify for reduced fares if they prove through tax returns that their annual income is less than $13,400 for a one-person household, or $15,300 for a two-person household.

Schmidt said the reduced-fare incomes are equal to 50% of the median income of residents in the Los Angeles and Long Beach areas. About 850 senior citizens are expected to meet those income requirements, according to the committee report.

Senior citizens would be limited to 20 tickets per month. The tickets will most likely be sold through the Parks and Recreation Department at City Hall and other city offices, Schmidt said.

Senior citizens would give a ticket to the cabdriver when they board a taxi, and the company would return the tickets to the city for reimbursement, according to the committee report.

Bob Meyers, administrative analyst for the Transportation Department, said it has not been decided how many taxi companies would be selected to participate in the program. He said some council members favor having two companies so competition would keep the service efficient.

There are two companies licensed to operate within the city, United Checker Co. and AM/PM Cab Co.