Seattle is a city that seems to have it all. A great nightlife, lots of places to get coffee, amazing weather that Space Needle thing. What it doesn't have is a whole lot of hybrids in its taxi fleet. Sure, it has a few schlepping folks to and from Sea-Tac but that's about it. Mayor Greg Nickels wants to change that and he's proposing that the city help cabbies make the switch with "special cab financing," according to an article at the website of KOMO TV.

So, are the taxi owners jumping for joy over this new scheme? Not exactly. Mangit Singh, a driver interviewed by KOMO, makes the case that it would be too expensive because of increased insurance expenses and the cost of buying new vehicles. He thinks they should get a "subsidized program". Perhaps Seattle's cabbies should call up their buddies at T.C. Transportation Services in Spokane (their taxi is pictured above) and ask how they managed to swing the hybrid ownership expense. Or perhaps increased gas taxes might help persuade them to try it out. Either way, the proposal must be first passed by city council before it can be implemented.

[Source: KOMOTV]