Next stop for state taxi cabs: meter inspections

By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer

Hawai'i's taxi cabs are lining up this month at Sand Island for an annual rite of spring — meter inspection.

Officials say all of the state's more than 2,000 taxis have to undergo the inspection by the end of June. More than 1,600 of them operate on O'ahu.

This year, for the first time, taxi owners aren't being mailed a notice of inspection. Instead, large taxi companies are being asked to schedule times while smaller, independent drivers are being inspected without appointments on a first-come, first-served basis, said Bill Pierpont, head of the Agriculture Department's Measurements Standards Branch.

"It's something they all have to do," Pierpont said. "We've got all kinds — regular taxis, stretch limousines, minivans — coming in for the inspection."

The test involves the drivers going through two 1-mile courses to make sure their meters give an accurate reading.

Since taxi payments are based on a per-mile rate, it's important that the mechanical parts of the car that record distance provide the right information to the electronic meters, Pierpont said.

Inspections can be scheduled by calling 832-0690.