A key D.C. council member on Tuesday chastised the head of the city’s taxi commission for running an undercover sting operation against an unsuspecting limo driver, fining him more than $1,000 and impounding his towncar. D.C. Taxicab Commission Chairman Ron Linton personally took part in the sting run last week against a driver for Uber, a popular car-reservation system that just opened in D.C. Linton said the company is operating illegally in the District, a charge company officials deny.
“Instead of impounding vehicles and issuing over $1,000 in fines, it seems to me that a better approach would be to encourage innovation and work with Uber and other similar businesses in order to bring them into compliance,” Councilwoman Mary Cheh, D-Ward 3, the chairwoman of the council’s transportation committee, wrote to Linton.
Cheh said if Uber’s operations don’t meet District rules, then the rules should be changed. Uber operates as a hybrid service similar to both a taxi and limousine service, charging a base fee plus a metered time and distance fee.
“If this is something that serves the public, then we just should try to make it work,” Cheh told The Washington Examiner. “To come down on it, especially with this sting operation, seemed to me unwarranted.”
Uber supporters erupted with outrage following the highly publicized sting, and Uber representatives offered an impassioned defense of their company, insisting they had reviewed and followed all District laws before launching the service locally in December.
Linton said he was only doing his job.
“It’s not a question of us finding a way to work with them,” he said. “It’s a question of their commitment to accept the laws and rules as they are.”
Cheh said she would raise the issue of Uber’s legality at a Jan. 30 hearing on a bill to overhaul the city’s taxi system and would consider revising rules to accommodate companies like Uber.
Linton said the legal changes are unnecessary. He plans to meet with Uber officials to talk about how the company could adjust to fit within current District laws.
Cab drivers last week protested against Uber at a hearing on a proposed fare increase, angered that Uber drivers charge higher than the city-mandated fares. Linton declared that the company is “operating illegally” and launched the undercover sting operation a short time later.
