Of course we don’t hail cabs on the Vineyard the way it’s done in the big city; like almost everything else on the Island, we’re a little more laid back when it comes to finding a taxicab. Just off the boat or just off a plane, headed home or perhaps starting a vacation, you will find a passenger van (or two or three) with a step stool accompanied by a friendly cabbie waiting to drive you to your destination. And unless it’s the dead of winter, more than likely you will share a ride with others who may or may not be going to the same town.

What you won’t encounter in most cabs on the Vineyard is a clearly posted rate structure; instead you will have to inquire about the fare. Chances are the ride will set you back somewhere between twenty and fifty dollars, before the tip.

The latest push by the all-Island selectmen to bring some kind of uniform rate structure to taxi fares across the Island is not the first, but it’s well past time to make it happen — even most of the cab drivers and owners who attended a recent meeting on the subject agreed. A committee has been set up by the Island selectmen to explore various ways to adopt a set of uniform rates and rules for cabs, including the possibility of installing meters in cabs. On this last point the cab company owners have balked, saying that meters are not needed and will be cost prohibitive. We are inclined to agree. The commendable goal here is to provide visitors and other riders a reasonable expectation of what they will pay, not impose onerous new burdens on taxi drivers who are trying to make a living.

Taxis are an important part of the Island transportation system, which thankfully also now includes reliable, low-cost bus service through the Vineyard Transit Authority. There will always need to be rate variations based on time of day, number of passengers, even distance traveled down dirt roads. But it would certainly send a better message to visitors to have some kind of consistent Islandwide rate structure clearly posted in every taxi, and we applaud the all-Island selectmen for taking this issue up again.

Figuring out the best way to promote pricing transparency is in everyone’s interest. The selectmen who license the taxis have the power to create new regulations, but the outcome will be better if the cab companies can help craft a fair, workable solution.