Norwood Selectmen Mandate Uniform Meter Rates for Local Taxi Companies-August 8, 1973

Board Steps in to Resolve Two-Month Dispute, Setting Fares at 60 Cents Plus 10 Cents Per Sixth-Mile While Ordering Meters for Bob’s and Norwood Taxis

Following a two-month debate, town selectmen voted last night to establish uniform taxi fares and mandate the use of meters for both of Norwood’s local cab companies. Acting on recommendations from Town Manager John P. Mogan and confirming their regulatory authority with Town Counsel Justin C. Barton, the board stepped into rate-setting for the first time under rules dating back to 1930. The new meter rates—set at 60 cents for the first one-sixth mile and 10 cents for each additional one-sixth mile—replace the old zone-based system (which charged a 75-cent minimum up to a mile and 50 cents per mile thereafter). For passengers, a one-mile trip will increase from 75 cents to $1.10, while a two-mile ride jumps from $1.25 to $1.70.

The change was originally petitioned by Richard and Timothy Armour, young owners of Bob’s Taxi Co., who argued during an extensive presentation featuring charts, customer complaints, and driver testimony that meters would eliminate inequities and help retain reliable drivers by shifting pay to 40 percent of gross receipts. They noted high turnover due to the previous $1.25-per-hour wage. Competing Norwood Taxi Co. manager Leon Narbut and his son, Thomas Narbut, countered that meters would eliminate service-based competition, though they raised no objection to their competitor adopting meters. Despite Selectman Chairman William F. Butters expressing concern over potential long-route tendencies by drivers, the board approved the meter mandate and instructed Town Manager Mogan and Counsel Barton to revise the outdated 1930 rules. (Reporting by local archives).

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger