(04/28/06) NEW BRUNSWICK ? Taxi company owners in New Brunswick plan to ask local officials for a minimum fare increase to compensate for rising fuel costs.

The owner of one cab company says it costs about $3,500 per week to fill up his fleet. That cost is twice the amount of what he was paying before gas prices went through the roof. According to the owner, his company is losing money on a daily basis.

Cab owners hope to ask local officials for the fare hike sometime next week. The last fare increase occurred in 2004, when the minimum went from $3 to $4.