The Private For Hire Transportation (PFHT) bureau which regulates Portland ground transportation companies including taxis, limousines and shuttles is proposing to criminalize the operation of a for-hire vehicle without a city permit.
The proposal by the PFHT bureau will require City Council approval in order to make changes to the City Code. If approved by City Council, the act would authorize police to arrest unpermitted drivers and to impound their vehicles.
Unpermitted drivers undercut the city’s existing legal operators. According to a Taxi Labor Market Review conducted by the city’s Revenue Bureau, the study found that Portland taxi drivers earn an effective hourly wage of $6.22 which is below the state’s minimum wage of $8.80. In addition, many drivers worked 6 to 7 days a week for 12 to 14 hours per day.
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