Despite a recent statewide order increasing cab fare to help taxi drivers deal with high gas prices, State College cab companies are continuing business as usual.

The surcharge, which went into effect June 14, is a statewide order from the Public Utility Commission. The extra fee is 30 cents per passenger, per trip.

In most of the state, the surcharge is optional, and the cab driver decides whether or not to charge the fee. Neither of the two taxi services in State College has chosen to implement the surcharge.

Benson Lichtig, owner of A.A. Transit, Inc., 118 S. Pugh St., said his company will most likely continue to disregard the surcharge because the recent record-high gas prices have been decreasing.

"I could see how it might have a greater impact on a city cab," Lichtig said. "I guess if we really had to, we would. But I'm glad we don't have to."

Lichtig also said he agrees with the surcharge's "all-or-nothing" concept, in which the cab driver decides to charge 30 cents or no surcharge.

Kendall Houk, accountant for Handy Delivery, Inc., 2197 High Tech Road, said implementing the surcharge would confuse passengers. Houk said the driver would have to ask for a fee the meter did not display.

"That's the primary reason we've never used it in the past," Houk said.

Houk added that registering the surcharge into the meter would be a time-consuming process.

Nittany Express Manager Omar Ahmed said the company, which is located at 2526 Shingletown Road, kept its customers in mind when deciding not to implement the surcharge.

Whereas taxis use meters to determine the cost of the ride, shuttles have set prices. Adding 30 cents would mean those prices would have to be changed.

"We don't want to confuse the customers," Ahmed said.

He said if fuel prices climb to over $2 per gallon, the Nittany Express Airport Shuttle might consider the surcharge.

The surcharge was required in Philadelphia, which has a separate tax system because it is classified as the only first-class city in the state.

"Philadelphia has a tax program called the medallion system," Pennsylvania PUC spokesmen Eric Levis said. "It requires taxi cabs to all charge the same rate."

On June 23, Philadelphia taxi drivers refused to pick up hundreds of passengers near the airport to protest the surcharge, which they said was too small.