Atlanta City Council votes to permanently allow older taxis in Hartsfield-Jackson

The council approved the measure after the body’s Transportation Committee voted in favor of it last week.

The age limit for taxis was 10 before the council changed the cap to seven in 2017. The change was part of a broader effort to legalize and regulate Uber and Lyft vans in Hartsfield-Jackson .

In 2020, the city council approved a temporary exemption to allow taxis under 10 years old to pick up at the airport. In 2022, they extended the relief by two years until 2024.

The measure to make the 10-year age limit permanent applies to taxis and ride-sharing vehicles, such as Uber and Lyft, that pick up passengers at the airport.

Council member Alex Wan voted against the measure, saying he was concerned about the timing of the upcoming World Cup and the investments being made at Hartsfield-Jackson. The airport is the first experience of Atlanta for many people visiting the city.

An earlier version of the order proposed to deregulate the taxi industry more broadly by repealing certain requirements for taxi meters and standard taxi appearance. Taxi drivers opposed the removal of many taxi standards, but rallied behind the measure to permanently license older taxis.