Rusi Baria has driven cabs in Walnut Creek since 1989, when a gallon of gas hovered around $1 a gallon. These days, Baria — owner and sole driver for A Royale Cab Company — pays more than $4.50 a gallon.

Recently, he paid $68 to fill up his 1996 Crown Victoria; to break even, he would have to make about 14 trips from Walnut Creek BART to downtown's Broadway Plaza.

"So what does the driver take home? Peanuts," Baria said.

When you drive for a living, high gas prices are more than a frustration — they threaten your livelihood.

To help with the hurt, drivers around Walnut Creek have joined to petition the city to raise the meter rates. Many cities across the county and state set taxi meter rates. In Walnut Creek, the current charge is $2.50 flag-drop and then $2.50 per mile, with a $25-an-hour waiting fee. The more than 15 cab operators based there want a $3.50 drop rate, $3.50 per mile and a $35 waiting fee — making the cost to take a cab in Walnut Creek higher than in San Francisco.

Baria, who works seven days a week, says he doesn't necessarily want the price that high. A $3 per flag-drop and mile sounds reasonable; he fears losing business if rates are too high.

"If it's too much, then it would hurt everyone," Baria said. "The city should have to look into it routinely because gas will be $5 and $6 by the end of summer and that is literally going to hurt us."

The city requires a petition by half of its registered cab companies to trigger a rate review. When drivers sought a rate raise a year ago, the city denied them. Rates were last raised in 2004, said Jeremy Lochirco, a Walnut Creek planner.

The city's Transportation Commission, which decides such rate increases, its expected to review this request by the end of the summer. First, the city will study what other cities charge, Lochirco said.

Higher gas prices, he said, aren't necessarily sufficient reason to raise rates.

"Until recently, gas prices fluctuated "… and we didn't decrease the cab rates when the gas was cheap," Lochirco said. "We don't want to discourage people from using cabs."

Walnut Creek is not the only city tackling the issue. Citing high gas prices, Concord raised its taxicab rates from $2.50 to $2.75, both flag-drop and per-mile rates; the new rates took effect this week.

Concord considers its taxi rates annually. Before this week, rates there had not gone up since 2004, said Cheryl Owens, financial analyst with the Concord Police Department.

"While no one wants to see a price increase, it is understandable that the drivers' fees would need to be increased to meet their rising costs," she said.

Other cities, such as Antioch, don't set cab fare rates. Some cities that do don't heavily enforce them.

Richmond set meter rates at $2.40 flag-drop, $2.40 a mile — but many of the drivers don't abide by the city's rates, said Police Sgt. Andre Hill. As in Walnut Creek, drivers must petition for increases.

"A lot of them don't use their meters, and a lot of them are just taking flat rates," he said. "Mostly these are independent guys "… just trying to make a living."

Jack Biller, a Walnut Creek cabbie said he did not see the price of oil coming down soon, and fares need to keep up with the high cost of fuel. "Gas is killing everybody, so it will definitely help some," Jack Biller said. "The drivers are getting murdered."

But he also argued that the city needs to enforce the rates better because some drivers illegally charge whatever they want. If riders feel ripped off, Biller said, they may stop taking cabs.

Some customers are noticing irregularities.

When Walnut Creek resident Walter Liu recently took a cab from Pleasant Hill BART to his home, he paid $14. About two weeks later, the same trip cost him $19.

"With increased gas prices, there may be more and more cabs operating with questionable meter rates and (working) out-of-territory, since enforcement appears to be difficult and probably nonexistent," Liu said.

Despite the climbing fuel prices and static tips, Baria said he plans to keep driving.

"What else would I do? I will survive. I am not a loser."

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