Taxi stand moves at Mitchell Airport, causing some confusion

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Construction at General Mitchell International Airport is prompting some changes to ground transportation, and some say that's making it harder to hail a cab.

It is a path many an air traveler has taken. Upon arrival at the airport, you head down to the baggage claim level, walk outside, and there's the taxi stand!

"Effective Monday, the taxi stand has been relocated to a temporary area and it's behind the rental car area on the lowest level of the parking garage," Mitchell Airport spokesman Harold Mester said.

The old taxi stand was still labeled as such on Tuesday afternoon, March 4th, but there won't be taxis waiting for travelers anymore.

It's a situation that some say has led to confusion this week.

One taxi driver says he found travelers waiting at the taxi stand on Monday.

"We tried to help them -- tell them 'you guys need a taxi' and their answer like, you know, 'what kind of stupid question is that? We are here, you know. Where is the taxi at?'" Hashen Al said.

The airport has put up signs directing taxi seekers to the new location, and added workers nearby to help those who look a little lost.

"You know, sometimes people are busy. They have luggage and they're not necessarily looking at signs and that's why we have extra staff on hand to help direct them," Mester said.

Some taxi drivers say so far, it's not enough.

"They don't know where they're going as far as taxi cab signs and stuff like that and it's basically it makes it hard for us to pick them up and they get confused so what ends up is that maybe they end up taking a shuttle," Tony Ayesh said.

The driver say they want bigger signs -- and more of them, to help guide customers.

"They should have signs inside by the baggage claim, maybe over the carousels to tell the customers that, you know, we moved," Hashen Al said.

A spokesman for the airport says it hasn't received any complaints about the new taxi location.

Taxis will be in the new location until a construction project wraps up in the summer of 2015.