Abouttown fares aren't fair

Although Fanshawe Student Union has a flat rate contract with Aboutown Transportation Limited for students, some cab drivers are not honouring that agreement.

Cameron Boniferro, FSU VP External & Academic Affairs, said Aboutown drivers have argued with him about the flat rate almost every time he has asked to use it.

He said because base rates have recently gone up to $3, some drivers have said the flat rate no longer applies and offer a 10 per cent discount off the final on-the-clock rate.

Christine Thomson, FSU VP Internal Affairs, said the Student Union signed a three-year contract with the cab company that began in September of 2005. All full time students who picked up their bus pass also received a cab card that gave a grid of various locations and destinations.

Students are required to show the cab driver their student card before the metre starts in order to get the flat rate.

For example, an Aboutown cab from the London Airport to Huron Marketplace would cost a Fanshawe student a flat rate of $12.25 anytime of the day.

All locations were specifically chosen due to the high volume of students who request those destinations. Argyle Mall, Masonville Mall, Fanshawe College and the Second Street Apartments, as well as popular intersections like Richmond and Oxford are all locations subjected to the flat rate fees.

“[Drivers] say they don't know about it and we know for a fact they know about it,” Thomson said.

Boniferro said he called Aboutown shift managers to complain and they reassured him that all drivers have been told about the Fanshawe flat rate policies.

“We wanted students to have the same plan as Western,” Thomson said about the flat rate agreement, which is similar to the one given to Western's students.

Jonathan Tan, Western's University Student Council Communications Officer, said he hasn't received any complaints about their flat rates service with Aboutown. He added that Western students have been offered flat rate cabs for at least five years.

Aboutown Transportation Limited has been serving the London community since 1947 and also operates limousines, school buses, minibus charters, shuttle services and highway buses. They have over 300 part-time employees in the London area.

Both Thomson and Boniferro said if a student is confronted with the same problem they should record the time, date, cab number and amount paid, and report the incident to the FSU, SC2001.

An Aboutown spokesperson could not be reached for comment.