The largest cab company in Prince George’s County is vowing to appeal a newly adopted measure expanding the county’s taxi service.
Silver Cab Co. owner Badi Nabely has long fought the bill, which will add 390 driver permits to the county’s existing 775 permits in October. Over the next five years, the bill will authorize 375 more permits.
Nabely says adding more drivers will cripple his business, which owns roughly one-fifth of the county’s existing permits. Nearly 200 individual drivers and cab companies share the remaining 615.
“By doubling the number of cabs, we are increasing the work force. And the mathematical result will lessen the income of every driver,” said John Lally, attorney for Silver Cab. “It’s all about supply and demand. We’re researching our appellate rights now and we’re planning on taking action.”
Independent drivers lobbied hard for the bill, saying it enables them and other aspiring taxi drivers to go into business for themselves. Drivers say Silver Cab and several other companies dominating the county’s taxi industry have monopolized the market.
The Prince George’s County Council voted for more drivers in July and unanimously approved the bill. County Executive Jack Johnson vetoed the measure, saying it would hurt companies like Nabely’s and restrict taxi access to the elderly.
“The proposal for new taxicab certificates will enable these drivers to deny seniors and handicapped residents” who use vouchers to travel — and give preferential treatment to riders with cash, Johnson wrote in a roughly three-page letter to the council. “The legislation substantially impairs the ability of the taxicab companies to operate at their current capacity,” Johnson wrote.
He added that the county Department of Environmental Resources, which controls permit distribution, was prepared to take legal action against the county because the bill contains new provisions for those who qualify for permits — which would disqualify a number of candidates who have been on the waiting list for years.
But the council overwhelmingly voted down Jackson’s veto, permitting the measure to take effect in October — barring successful legal action.
