Chicago Sued Over Restrictive Taxi Regulations

Rules are so restrictive, cabbies can't make a living

A Chicago cabbie is taking on the city, demanding rules and regulations be loosened up a little so she can make money, reports WBBM's Veronica Carter.

Melissa Callahan filed a federal class action lawsuit saying the city needs to either treat cab drivers as employees or let them be independent contractors with a chance of making a living.

"It's definitely the city using the cab drivers and the cab industry as an ATM machine. They have been doing this for a long time and the public doesn't always see it. That is what has always been about," said Callahan.

"At the end of the day, when you analyze that, you look at how much the driver made out of the day and how much they paid out of what they made, they are left with really very little," said Callahan.

The gist of her complaint is that the city recently increased the maximum lease rate that cab companies can charge drivers but it has kept meter rates the same.

Callahan claims that there are so many regulations that cabbies can't even make minimum wage.