Orlando cab drivers stage protest

Leah Zanolla | Posted: Apr 28, 2008 | Updated: Oct 19, 2014 - 9:25:27 AM

Orlando taxi drivers are staging a protest against Mears transportation. The planned action is scheduled for today in front of city hall in the Downtown district. The 100 drivers expected to participate held a similar rally at the Central Florida Fairgrounds a month ago.

Under current contracts, Mears is the sole provider of transportation to Disney and most of the major destinations. The company is the owner of the majority of the area cab companies and charges the drivers $880 a week to lease a car. Theses leases also impose limits on where the drivers can get passengers. As one driver commented "I'm basically at minimum wage by the time I pay for gas and the contract on the cab."

Independents claim they're unable to compete with Mears holding a monopoly in Orlando. As a driver stated "We suffer, we have families. We have to eat."

Today's protest is expected to tie up traffic in the downtown area.