Q&A on the News

Q: Since ride-sharing has come to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and they don’t need medallions, what happens to the taxi and limo drivers who have purchased them? I understand they are expensive and have restrictions. Are they out of luck for the money they paid? —Bob Gardner, Roswell

A: Taxi drivers still have the ability to pick up from the airport, wait in their own taxi hold lot and pick up at taxi stands around town, where they are used by tourists, conventioneers and others.

However, there are restrictions on taxi drivers picking up at the airport, including a requirement that vehicles are no more than 7 years old.

The presence of Uber and Lyft at the airport doesn’t remove any of the rights that taxi drivers have to operate.

Limo drivers don’t need medallions and can still pick up from the airport as usual, with permits.

Taxi drivers still have certificates of public necessity and convenience (CPNC), which are similar to what is known as medallions in New York.

The city of Atlanta issued the CPNCs. There are about 1,600 CPNCs for taxis to operate in Atlanta, and about 630 taxis were approved to pick up at the airport under the new requirements.

CPNCs are assets that are generally owned in batches by CPNC owners, who have for decades made money off of them by leasing them out to taxi drivers.

Drivers generally pay a monthly lease rate for use of the CPNCs. Taxi drivers still need a CPNC, whether picking up or dropping off customers at the airport or in Atlanta.

The certificate allows taxis to do several things that rideshare operators cannot do, Anne Torres, a spokeswoman for the city of Atlanta, told Q&A on the News via email.

For example, taxis can be hailed by passengers with- out a pre-arranged booking, and taxis can use dedicated taxi stands to stage for rides. Fast Copy News Service wrote this column; Kelly Yamanouchi contributed. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404222-2002 or email q&a@ajc. com (include name, phone and city).