A coalition of D.C. taxi drivers has launched an online petition urging Mayor Adrian Fenty to ditch time and distance meters in favor of an advanced zone system.
Drivers have already taken the mayor to court over the switch; now they’re trying the court of public opinion. The petition, which had 9 signatures as of 4 p.m. Friday, claims time and distance meters produce “totally unpredictable fares” and are “more susceptible to over-charging riders and will likely unfairly victimize riders in the poorest outskirt neighborhoods…”
Zone meters using global positioning system technology bring “certainty, clarity and predictability to the ride,” Solomon Tesfaye with the Coalition of Taxicab Drivers, Associations and Companies, said in a statement. And passengers aren’t charged to wait in traffic, as they will be under time and distance meters.
“To ensure predictable, honest and fair taxi service for all Washington, D.C. residents, workers and tourists, we ask that you mandate that all taxis install meters based on the existing ZONE system using GPS technology to ensure greatest accuracy,” the petition states. “Riders would only be charged for the shortest distance between their pick up place and final destination, regardless of the distance driven or time sitting in traffic.”
A Fenty spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment. To view the petition, visit www.petitiononline.com/zoneyes/petition.html.
The switch to meters was slated for April 6 until a judge issued a temporary restraining order, pushing the launch date to May 1. Court arguments on the drivers’ main complaint, that Fenty was not authorized to implement the meter switch without the okay of the D.C. Taxicab Commission, are scheduled to be heard Thursday in D.C. Superior Court, said Jeffrey O’Toole, lawyer for the drivers.
Under Fenty’s system, riders will be charged a $3 base rate plus 25 cents for each one-sixth of a mile traveled or each minute stopped in traffic. Trips inside the district are capped at $19, not including the $1.50 additional passenger surcharge and other fees.
