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Update: Thursday, Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m.:

Officials at Jefferson City approved the taxi rate increase. It goes into effect immediately.

Original Story:

If you take a taxi in Jefferson City, you could soon be paying more.

The Checker Cab Company is wanting to make an increase in it's taxi cab rates.

But why do they want to make a change?

The Checker Cab Company said it needs to increase rates because of the high cost of fuel and vehicle maintenance.

The only thing is they can't just raise the price on their own, in Jefferson City, because the city has to approve the rate hike.

"After the hearing on Tuesday is over, then I will take all the testimony and review it. Then I will make a determination on whether the rate increase should be granted, part of it granted, or none of the rate increase granted,” Jefferson City's Finance Director Steve Schlueter said.

The initial rate to get into a cab and go 1/10^th of a mile was $1.60, but the new proposed rate would make it $2.50.

In addition to that, each additional 1/10^th of a mile would cost $0.21.

So if you take a cab for a short trip in the city it will roughly cost you a dollar more than it does now.

But if you take a cab over ten miles it will cost you almost $3 more than it does now.

If you would like to voice your opinion about the rate increases there will be a public hearing Tuesday at 11am at city hall.