Brownsville approved new taxi rates that nearly double the cost from $3.50 to $6.

City leaders say the increase is meant to help drivers keep up with rising costs like gas, maintenance, and insurance. It's the first rate increase in about a decade.

Now drivers are asking the city to look at other fees, including the cost to operate and rent spaces where they park and wait for riders.

"They do have operating costs. They pay for the rent, they pay for their vehicle insurance, they pay for operating within the city of Brownsville," Brownsville Chief Safety Officer Juan Miguel Gonzalez said. "So this, hopefully, is something that will benefit them more than the city of Brownsville itself."

Gonzalez works for Brownsville Metro and says the rate increase was needed for taxi drivers to stay competitive with rideshare services and keep local operators on the road.

The rate increase has already been approved. The city has not said when it will go into effect.