Cleveland (AP) – Some taxi drivers who work at the Cleveland airport say they won’t drive cabs with rooftop placards advertising the upcoming Gay Games.
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport has released a statement saying two of the three taxi companies operating there were informed by several drivers that they will no longer participate in the airport’s dedicated cab program.
The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reports that the drivers cited religious reasons.
The airport said it brokered an agreement between the taxi cab stand operator, Standard Parking, and the cab companies to allow for replacing drivers who don’t want to drive in the 75-cab Hopkins fleet. The companies plan to backfill the fleet with metered taxi cabs until each company can hire permanent drivers for the airport program. Hopkins cabs charge fixed amounts for the zone of the metro area you’re going to, rather than charging based on a running meter.
It is expected to take about two to three weeks to repopulate the fleet.
At Americab, general manager Patrick Keenan explained that the airport sells the space on the taxis’ roof-mounted placards and gets any revenue generated from the advertising.
“We don’t have any objections to the signage,” he said. “We’re fully supportive of the games. We’re not in concert with (the protesting drivers) on that. We don’t share those views.”
The airport said plans are in the works to replace the drivers in the 75-cab Hopkins fleet.
Keenan said the company is supportive of the games and doesn’t share the views of the few drivers.
About 10,000 athletes are expected to participate in the Gay Games in Cleveland Aug. 9-16.
