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--> --> Ashland Student Taxi service shuts down Ashland Daily Tidings Ashland Student Taxi, which offered $3 taxi rides to SOU students, has gone out of business after about a year in service. Student Taxi owner Andrew Bangsberg Friday notified the Ashland City Recorder's office he would no longer operate in the city. He had been responding to a request from City Recorder Barbara Christensen to improve his insurance, which was insufficient for his business. Bangsberg had come under fire from Mothers Against Drunk Driving and other groups for offering free rides to under-aged children who were under the influence of alcohol. Bangsberg was unavailable for comment. Bangsberg's departure leaves two taxi services in the city, including Yellow Cab - which enjoyed a monopoly in Ashland since 1972 - and Ashland Taxicab and Delivery Service, which began serving the city earlier this year. A 1972 Ashland city ordinance required that taxis prove a need for their service before coming into town. In 2000, the Ashland City Council amended the city's taxi ordinance, removing the requirement to prove a need for increased service. Prior to the 1972 ordinance, over-competition in Ashland made it unprofitable for taxis to offer 24-hour, 365-day-a-year service. The new ordinance still requires taxis to run full-time, which should discourage companies from coming in and offering service only on the weekends or at other profitable times. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing