It’ll cost you on average $4.60 for a gallon of gas in Hawaii.
Not surprising that tops the nation, Some 26 cents more than the second state of Alaska.
The soaring prices are having a dramatic impact on businesses. John Mendonca has been driving a cab for 18 years. And the business has changed quite a bit over those years. "It affects my family life because instead of eight hours a day it went to twelve. Now I’m working from 12 to 15 hours a day, seven days a week. That’s the only way I can make ends meet," he said. "I buy gas everyday. It used to be $20 a day, then it went to $30, $35. Now I’m spending $45 to $50 a day. Everyday, seven days a week."
Cab drivers can seek relief. The City Department of Transportation services allows drivers to charge a gas surcharge if they’re permitted with the department, but it’s something few drivers take advantage of. "I know they all understand this business very well, their relationship between the customer and themselves. So, if the customer feels that they have to pay or 30 cents more, they may have a tendency to not take the cabs," said The Cab owner, Howard Higa. The higher gas prices has lead to extra work hours for many. "Painful, my wife says I’m married to the cab. I think I am," said Mendonca. He says it has gotten so bad he’s thought about getting out of the business. But he says no one wants to hire a 78 year-old.
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
