The greening of Boston's taxi fleet

BOSTON CABDRIVERS haven't had a pay raise in six years, and they deserve one. It's a tough, sometimes dangerous way to make a living, and no one's getting rich behind the wheel. But in the days ahead, as the Boston Police Department considers a fare increase, drivers and owners are not the only players who should be at the table. Consumers have rights here too.

If we're going to bump Boston fares to the highest in the nation, we need a better ride. Boston cabs are overwhelmingly gas-guzzling, second-hand Ford Crown Victorias, bought cheap from area police departments. They make no economic or environmental sense. Cabdrivers are lucky to get 12 miles to a gallon as fuel costs are going though the roof. No wonder they're not making money. And they're polluting the environment on their way to the poor house.

Boston has roughly 1,800 licensed taxis on the road. About 400 cabs turn over every year. Mayor Thomas Menino launched the Boston Clean Air Cabs program two years ago, and it has proven that hybrid taxis save almost 70 percent on fuel costs and reduce air pollution even further. However, despite this demonstrated success, fewer than 50 Boston cabs are hybrid or energy-efficient vehicles. Why? The simple answer is economics. It costs medallion owners about $25,000 for a new hybrid (tough to find a used one) versus $7,000 for the old Crown Vic. Not a tough call.

But cabdrivers are eager to drive hybrids. They're saving about $40 per shift on fuel. If the cab runs two shifts per day, six days a week, 50 weeks a year, you could save about $25,000 per year in fuel costs alone. If owners and drivers more equitably split the fuel savings, you could cover the vehicles capital cost in two years - and everyone wins. Drivers make more money with fuel cost savings. Owners could recover the upfront capital cost of a new vehicle over time. And the rest of us can breathe easier.

Now it's not quite that simple. There are insurance, maintenance, and downtime costs to be considered. But we can aggressively negotiate better benefits and service for hybrid fleets, and if government participates with new incentives for tolls and access to Logan airport, we can sweeten the pot. Every other industry has faced the need to retool in light of technological innovations, and so must the taxi industry.

In a real sense, Boston cabs are the gateway to the city. They are the first thing tourists and businessmen experience when they enter our state. They say a lot about whether we get it - or don't. Make no mistake, tourism is a $14 billion industry that feeds many of us, including cabdrivers. And the business decision as to where to locate or expand companies and jobs depends in no small measure on whether the decision makers decide this is a livable community - or not.

Thankfully, and increasingly, the public really cares about both our economy and our environment. The two are not in conflict. The city has initiated a first in the nation green building standard for larger development projects. The state Legislature is about to pass new landmark legislation promoting energy conservation. And critical pending legislation would require a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. We must get there. To achieve these goals, all of us must help, including the taxi industry.

If we fail, we'll be selling waterfront property in Framingham, and Revere will be just another harbor island. And if climate change doesn't get you excited, think of our kids and the alarming increase in childhood asthma. At some point our public health and safety must be considered.

So as the Boston Police Department deliberates on a rate increase for Boston taxis they must also require a conversion to hybrid vehicles. And there ought to be more folks at the table than just taxi owners and drivers.

Those who care about Boston's larger economy, our image, our environment, and our public health and welfare must also be heard. If we give more green to the taxi industry, the industry must go green in return.

George Bachrach is the president of the Environmental League of Massachusetts.