Emergency Rule Adopted on December 21, 2012

Effective on December 21, 2012, No Taxicab shall be placed into service until  July 1, 2013.

Exemption to this new rule is that the owner of the vehicle must sign a written agreement that the vehicle shall be repainted to a uniform color scheme as may be adapted by the Taxicab Commission in the future at owner's expense.

Proposed DC Taxicab colors

Toyota Camry

Ford Transit

Ford C-Mac

MV-1 CNG

All these four choices here are monstrous, we are expected to only select one of the four and we will end up having the worst taxicab color in the Nation. I feel sorry for taxicab owners for painting their taxis with these ugly, but expensive colors and have to pay for it (one estimate has up to $1500). Painting multiple color tones takes at least three days ( tape the car to paint one color tone, wait to dry, remove the cover, retape again and then paint second color tone and continue doing the same to paint the third color tone). Just imagine doing this procedure one car at a time for all 6500 cabs to be painted and if every driver not work for three days while his/her car getting painted, we will have about half a million hours of unproductive drivers.

Replacing older Taxicabs Extended for 6 months

On Wednesday, November 14, 2012, The DC Taxicabs Commission voted to extended the removal date of the older vehicles for 6 more months. Vehicles that are 1997 and older must be replaced on or before June 30, 2013.

Smart Taxi Meters Indefinitely delayed

DC Contract Appeals Board has ordered the city to cancel the Verifone contract and accept new bids, this action will definitely take months. Therefore, DC taxicab drivers should be happy that they don't have to install smart meter with GPS tracking system by Verifone.

Drivers should also be thankful to former Mayor and now DC Council-member, Marion Barry who initially stopped the contract by filing a disapproval resolution that delayed the Installation of Smart Meters by Verifone for 45 days. This delay gave more time to the Board's administrative Judge to review the complains filed by both Creative Mobile Technology and Taxi Magic who lost their bid of $35 million contract to Verifone.

Consideration to postpone removal of older vehicles

DC Taxicab Commission is considering to postpone the removal of the older taxicabs from service till June 2013, instead of January 1, 2013. This issue will be discussed and probably will be proposed by the DC Taxicab Commission's next regular meeting on November 14, 2012.

Emergency rate started 12:00 pm Today

During this emergency fare period, a flat fee of additional fifteen dollars ($15) shall be added to the metered fare.   

This emergency fare takes effect at 12 noon October 29, 2012 and automatically expires after twenty four (24) hours unless cancelled sooner. Depending upon the conditions the emergency fare may be extended for an additional fixed period. Also Taxicab drivers should inform the passengers upon entering the vehicle that the emergency fare is in effect.

Suspension of new tags partially lifted

DC Taxicab Commission announced today that only existing taxicab and limousine companies with at least 20 vehicles in their fleet will be able to register new vehicle and get new tags starting on October 15, 2012. 

Individual owners will not be able to register new vehicles, they can only replace old vehicles and transfer tags, provided they have valid registrations, tags and current inspections.

Proposed: DC Taxi Drivers are forced to install GPS

DC Taxi drivers/owners may be forced to install and pay for a GPS tracking system in their taximeter so that DC Taxicab Commission can track their trips.

The Commission assumes that every driver/owner gets 200 trips a month and with this assumption drivers/owners must pay $100 monthly. But, if drivers/owners install in their taximeter a computer chip that will allow for wireless transmission as to allow the Commission to read the meter data and authorize the commission to withdraw from drivers/owners accounts $0.50 per trip for every month. 

Drivers/owners must provide checking/saving account with initial deposit of $200 and a minimum balance of $100 or credit card account for every vehicle.

Further Delay on Smart Taxi Meters Installation by a Judge

On August 31, 2012, a DC Contract Appeals Board's administrative Judge has ordered to delay the installation of Smart Taxi meters till October, 2012. This order should immediately stop Verifone for installing more Smart meters in DC Taxicabs till this Judge resolves the complains filed by both Creative Mobile Technology and Taxi Magic who lost their bid of $35 million contract to Verifone.

More Delays on Smart Taxi Meters Installation in DC Taxicabs

Former Mayor and now DC Council-member, Marion Barry filed a disapproval resolution on Wednesday, August 15, 2012 that would delay the Installation of  Smart Meters by Verifone for 45 days during an extended review period. 

"D.C. law allows legislators to file disapproval resolutions to object to contracts and effectively delay them for weeks. If the full council doesn't reject the contract during a 45-day review period after a Council-member files a disapproval resolution the contract moves forward".