The Senate Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has approved two bills to be sent to the full Senate with the recommendation that they pass.
SB 263 would allow railroad companies to use different taxi services that are not regulated by the Public Service Commission in the state. It was created due to several complaints from railroad companies about the conditions of the taxi services they receive in the state.
Norfolk Southern Railway lobbyist Jason Wazelle said railroad workers simply want the option to seek better taxi services, rather than being confined by law to only one choice.
CEO of C&H Taxi Jeb Corey said railroad personnel could easily go through the PSC to ensure that services are kept up to standard, rather than removing a regulation that Corey said provides necessary jobs and taxi services to small communities.
Corey said adoption of the bill would force his and other taxi companies in the state to lay off many workers and outsource to other countries, due to a fall in profits that losing business with railroad companies would cause.
“It would be a dramatic blow to us,” Corey said. “I’m not sure change like this is even necessary.”
Wazelle said the dropped regulation would actually open the state up for new business that could operate and provide railroad workers with better services without having to go through the PSC.
Regional vice president of CSX Transportation Randy Cheetham said the other 22 states his company operates in do not have to go through such regulations, which have caused many issues and complaints from workers.
“When you’re the only gang in town, you can pretty much do what you want,” Cheetham said, “And we have to deal with it.”
Cheetham also said adoption of the bill would simply increase necessary competition and create a “level playing field” requiring state taxi companies to improve their services.
The bill would have no fiscal impact and would not exempt taxi services from still following safety regulations.
John Doyle spoke in oppostition to the bill on behalf of the West Virginia Transportation Association.
Public Service Commissioner Kara Williams was also present and said the PSC would not be taking a position on the bill.
Members then passed SB 343, which would prohibit transportation network company drivers from soliciting rides or occupying designated cab stands and require such drivers to register annually with the local county commission at the commission’s discretion or face possible criminal penalties.
Senator Robert Beach (D-Monongalia) is the lead sponsor for the bill and said he created it to help local taxi services operate on highly competitive days that attract services from out of state.
Beach specifically referenced how Uber drivers from Pittsburgh tend to take business away from taxi services in Morgantown on West Virginia University game days. He said he believes this bill will help to return business back to those local companies.
The bill will be referred to the Senate Committee on Government Organization and then to the Senate Judiciary Committee once reported to the floor.
