(8/21) For the first time in a couple
of decades, Thurmont will soon have its own
taxi service. Thurmont commissioners amended
the town code to allow for a taxi service, and
City Cab Company of Frederick is expected to
create a satellite operation in Thurmont by
Sept. 1.
“So it’s possible within the next 2-3
weeks, we could have a taxi service,”
Commissioner Robert Lookingbill said during
the discussion of the ordinance at the Aug. 11
town meeting.
The commissioners unanimously approved the
ordinance, which allows the town to regulate
taxi services “to protect the safety, health
and general welfare of the city and its
residents, citizens and occupants…”
“This does give us the authority to levy a
small fee, which we probably will need to pay
for processing,” said Thurmont Chief
Administrative Officer Bill Blakeslee.
Mayor Martin Burns said that the town tried
not to regulate taxi service excessively
because that would only mean additional costs
would be passed on to the residents who pay
for the service.
Blaine Young, one of the partners with City
Cab, said that he has two cars already painted
with the words “Thurmont, Md.” on them. The
new service will be called Yellow Cab of
Thurmont. Yellow Cab has a local number so it
won’t be a long-distance call to get a cab. By
having a local service, customers won’t have
to pay for the time it takes a Frederick cab
to get to Thurmont. The taxicabs will already
be in town, which should also mean quicker
pick-up times.
When Young spoke before the commissioners
in September 2007 to start discussion about a
local taxi service, he estimated that a
Thurmont service would run from 6 a.m. to 9
p.m. seven days a week. The cost would be
$2.40 for a pick up and $1.60 for each mile,
which are the City of Frederick rates.
However, Frederick’s taxicab commission has
allowed a temporary surcharge for rates and
may allow for permanent increases because of
increased fuel costs.
City Cab has been running a similar service
in Brunswick for about a year.
“We were really excited to get City Cab in
Brunswick,” said Brunswick City Administrator
Dave Dunn. “They’ve been great to work with
and they are big supporters of the town. City
Cab also fills a void in the city for
transportation.”
Emmitsburg may also benefit from Thurmont’s
taxi service. Young said City Cab has gotten
calls for rides from students at Mount St.
Mary’s University and the National Fire
Academy, among others. A Thurmont taxi service
brings the cabs closer to Emmitsburg, which
makes the trips more affordable.
Emmitsburg officials have also been
discussing with City Cab and Thurmont
officials the possibility of the three working
cooperatively to have a northern Frederick
County taxi service.
“It’s on the back burner right now,” said
Emmitsburg Mayor James Hoover. “I’d like to
have it up here. It hasn’t been forgotten. It
just needs to be resurrected.”
Announcements will be made when Yellow Cab
is ready to begin local operations. The
dispatch phone number is (301) 271-3340.
“Our goal is to provide impromptu
transportation service within the entire
county, including the northern county,” Young
said.
