Four local cab companies got a call from Cleveland officials late Monday with this message: Don't show up at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to pick up passengers anymore.
The directive, which will be enforced starting today, is part of the airport's new plan to reduce the number of taxis at Hopkins and improve service.
Under a contract approved by Mayor Frank Jackson's Cabinet last week, just three companies - Yellow Cab, Ace Taxi and Americab - will be permitted to pick up passengers at the airport. Drivers for other companies can only drop off passengers.
Standard Parking, which manages the airport's parking garages, will oversee the service.
City officials did not make details of the contract available Monday.
For now, travelers are unlikely to notice much difference at the taxi stand.
The new cabs, which will be painted white with an airport logo, aren't expected to arrive until around Thanksgiving, airport officials said. And fares, determined by a running meter, will remain the same until the new cabs arrive.
With the new taxis, a flat-rate fee will go into effect.
City officials could not provide details of the fees Monday, but Hopkins marketing director Todd Payne said that an additional charge of $3 will be added to each trip. The airport will keep $2.50 of that fee. It's unclear where the other 50 cents - called a facility maintenance fee - will go.
Airport director Ricky Smith expects cabs will make about 500 trips a day from Hopkins. At $2.50 a trip, the airport's revenue would be $456,250 a year.
In the past, Smith has projected revenues of as much as $750,000 from the new cab service, but gave no breakdown on how the airport would collect that amount.
Drivers who work for the four companies excluded from the contract said they were caught off guard by the news Monday that the exclusive service would start the next morning.
"They're sneaky," said Joseph Sangh, whose family owns Airport Taxi. "No paperwork, no nothing. Just a call that said 'Don't come tomorrow.' "
Desalegn Sisay, owner of ABC Taxi Co., said he is concerned the notice did not come in writing.
He said the late-afternoon call made it impossible to tell each of his drivers about the change before today.
Payne said any driver not from Yellow, Ace or Americab who wants to pick up passengers will be asked to leave the airport.
Tom Andrzejewski, a public relations executive who represents USA Taxi, United Cab Co., ABC Taxi and Airport Taxi, criticized the city's handling of the changeover.
"There's probably a good reason why it's been so secret: The good reason is that it's lousy public policy and that the city is embarrassed about what it's doing," he said.
In a statement, Andrzejewski said the city's action will prematurely destroy the four cab companies owned by immigrants and 250 jobs. He said the plan sends the message that "Cleveland is closed to immigrants for business."
The city's decision to limit the number of cab companies permitted to pick up passengers at Hopkins has been controversial. Some argue it discriminates against smaller, minority-owned companies. USA Taxi, Airport Taxi and others employ many Somali drivers.
Airport officials said the changes are needed to reduce the glut of cabs and improve poor cab service at Hopkins.
Plain Dealer reporter Henry Gomez contributed to this story.
