Mayor Adrian Fenty Thursday scheduled the demise of the zone taxi fare system, ordering all cabs to have meters installed by April 1, 2008, and setting fares that start at $4 and creep up by 25 cents for each one-sixth of a mile.
The publication of proposed rules and regulations tied to a new meter system comes one day after thousands of cab drivers walked off the job to protest the end of zones, and only two weeks after Fenty announced the switch.
“Every passenger deserves a reliable fare system that they understand,” Fenty said during a news conference at 16th and U streets NW, which became a chaotic scene when about 40 cab drivers showed up to protest.
The rules are slated to take effect after a 30-day public comment period. Ward 1 D.C. Council member Jim Graham, who has oversight of the taxi industry, promised “a full discussion of what we have before us.” How the comment process will work was unclear Thursday.
The meters, paid for by individual drivers, must have a non-erasable memory, be capable of printing receipts within 10 seconds, and be tested annually. Operating without a meter after April 1 could cost a driver $1,000 and loss of license.
D.C. Taxicab Commission Chairman Leon Swain said he would sit down with meter manufacturers next week to negotiate a price.
The proposed fare structure starts with a $4 “flag drop rate” — $1.50 more than New York City and $1.30 more than Philadelphia — and increases 25 cents per one-sixth of a mile traveled. The fare also incorporates a 25-centper minute fee when the cab is stopped or slowed to less than 10 mph. Meter fares for trips within the District would be capped at $18.90, not including the time charges.
“I don’t think there will be sustainable income for the 6,000 drivers,” said Fasil Demissie, president of the Ethio-American Cab Owners Association. “It’s less money.”
Under the D.C. Code the responsibility for setting fares and standards falls to the Taxicab Commission, not the mayor. Swain said he was authorized by Fenty to draft the rules, but other commission members were apparently excluded from the discussions. Several critics indicated they may challenge the regulations in court on that basis.
Fenty acknowledged he has considered moving to dissolve or diminish the power of the oft-criticized commission.
dc examiNation and poll: What do you think about the new D.C. taxi meter tariffs starting at $4?
