[Otto-matic]

Calgary cab drivers say they are the ones paying the price of new lower taxi fares.

At least two taxi companies have announced they're lowering their fares.

And while this is good news for those who take taxis, cab drivers say the break is coming out of their pockets.

"They all agree we got to be competitive and we've got to do more for less and we've got to get more people to use taxis instead of other forms of transportation," he said.

But according to longtime cabbie Narinder Tunber, that's not the case.

"It's the wrong way to go," he said.

The 30-year veteran driver has been driving with Associated for the last four years. When he heard about the fare decrease, he went to talk to Richard, asking him to decrease the rent drivers pay for the cabs.

"I asked, 'If you went and decreased the meter 12 per cent, the rent should be decreased too,'" Tunber said.

"I told him, 'If you're not going to take the rent down, I am just going to keep the same meter rate,'" he continued.

"[Richard] said if you're going to keep the same meter, then he'd take that car away from me."

For anyone who is going out this weekend, keep this in mind when booking cabs.

Delta Cab, too, will lower its rates. Mayfair Taxi and Checker Yellow Cab have said they are considering their options.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...524920?cmp=rss