In Pursuit of an Equitable Honolulu Airport Taxi Dispatch System

Honolulu’s airport taxi system, the largest single source of revenue for cab companies in the state, has been void of competition for more than 30 years because the contract to operate the airport cab service has gone almost exclusively to one company – SIDA of Hawaii. Other cab drivers and cab company owners seeking work at the Honolulu International Airport say the system has not been operated fairly, legally or ethically by SIDA, which has hurt their businesses and hurt customers seeking immediate and affordable transportation. Now Hawaii’s new Republican Governor, Linda Lingle, is faced with the opportunity to change that system – or leave it as is. What her administration decides will affect more than 2,000 cab drivers, several private cab and transportation companies and thousands of visitors and residents who take cabs each day from the Honolulu International Airport.