The big picture
Vehicles for hire operating in Houston can charge a maximum of $2.96 per mile during the day and a maximum of $2.97 at night—after the first one-eleventh of a mile—according to Dec. 17 City Council regular meeting documents.
Vehicles for hire have the option to charge lower rates in order to compete with transportation networks such as Uber and Lyft, according to meeting documents.
The catalyst
Officials with the city’s Administration & Regulatory Affairs Department met with industry stakeholders earlier this year about raising the rate maximums due to increased operating costs for taxicabs. Houston’s last meter rate adjustment was in 2018.
The breakdown
According to Dec. 17 City Council meeting documents, the new vehicle for hire rate maximums also include:
- $3.72 for the first one-eleventh of a mile during the day—an 81-cent jump from the previous rates
- $4.72 for the first one-eleventh of a mile at night—an 81-cent jump from the previous rates
- 27 cents for each one-eleventh of a mile after the first one-eleventh of a mile, day or night—a six-cent jump from the previous rates
- $24 per hour for waiting time, which did not change from the previous rates
