Gas prices hurting business

By Rosa Duarte

Published: April 21, 2008

For Irene and Robert “Jerry” Vaughn owners of Christiansburg Cab, the rising gas prices have put a damper on business.
According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular is $3.50 in Virginia it’s $3.42.
When Irene’s parents started the business in ’67 gas was just .33 cents a gallon but with prices inching towards $3.50 the couple will have to choose whether to raise their rates on customers they say won’t be able to afford it.
“Like I say, most our people are on fixed incomes, we’ve got people that’s trying to live on six hundred dollars a month so where are they going to get it at if we go up on the rate? Then they’re going to have to leave off the medicines or leave off the groceries or whatever. We’re doing the best we can but we may have to go up.” Jerry Vaughn says.
Right now the couple says they charge their customers just enough to keep their business going but profit wise, “there’s a lot of times we go home and we don’t have anything to show for it, like I said you put it all back in the tank at the end of the day.”
Irene and Jerry say the last time they rose their rates was .25 cents in 2006 when gas prices went over $3.00 a gallon.

Click here for AP video on what you can do to save at the pump.