Is Rocky's taxi plan political payback?

Yellow Cab could increase the number of its cabs during the peak winter skiing season — Oct. 15 to April 15 — by 56 cabs; Ute Cab and City Cab could increase their fleets by 39 and 22 taxis respectively.

Also, during the slower summer months the cab companies could decrease the number of cabs in service by 25 to 50 percent.

Winder agrees that Anderson's ties to Yellow Cab aren't the reason for the changes. Instead, market forces following the 9/11 terrorist attacks — including declining tourism and higher costs — force the revision.

"Unfair shots have been taken at Rocky," he said. "Most of this was in play long before last election."

At the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, which successfully lobbied in 1999 to force more cabs onto the city's streets, spokesman Jason Mathis said leaders are OK with the changes.

"In 1999 we received complaints from several convention delegates about Salt Lake's lack of cabs," Mathis said. But "over the past few years, cab companies have really stepped up to the plate, improving their service levels significantly."

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