Stretched by elevated gasoline prices, Salt Lake City's three taxicab companies have pushed for a boost in fares to offset those costs.

This week, the City Council granted their wish.

By a 6-1 vote, the council agreed to hike the per-mile rate for cabs from $1.80 to $2. The move, favored by the city's administration, will generate roughly $20 more per day for drivers.

Critics suggest the increase will pinch the elderly and people on fixed incomes. And Councilman Soren Simonsen, the lone dissenter, said it is unfair to target a single transportation provider.

Still, the council approved the measure, the city's third taxi-rate boost since 2005.

According to a city staff report, the average cab rate for 10 Intermountain West cities is $1.82. The capital's new $2 rate is equal to those in Denver and Las Vegas, the report says, but less than the one in Phoenix; Boise, Idaho; and Reno, Nev.

- Derek P. Jensen