$1 Fuel Surcharge Expiring

The DC Taxicab Commission has decided not to extend the one dollar gasoline surcharge beyond June 20. It will expire midnight Wednesday, June 20, 2012. This fuel surcharge was first imposed on march 3, 2011 when the average regular unleaded gasoline was $3.45 and now the current average regular unleaded gasoline in DC is $3.66, about 21 cents higher than when they first imposed the Surcharge.

Second Taxicab Modernization cleared at the City Council

On Tuesday, June 5, 2012, The DC City Council gave a preliminary approval, a bill B19-0630 sponsored by Councilmember Mary Cheh, that would require major changes to the city's taxicabs.The new requirements would include credit card readers, GPS navigation, panic buttons and uniforn Dome lights that identify when taxicabs are occupied, on-call,off duty or available for passenger pick-ups.

* This is not a final vote, but the majority of the council (9 to 4 ) agreed to go ahead with the bill to its final voting in the very near future.

First Taxicab Modernization Program begins January 1, 2013

This new regulation covers four major rules:
1. Effective immediately (June 1, 2012), No Salvage vehicles be put into service as a taxicabs in the District of Columbia. Salvage vehicles already in service will continue through the 5-year schedule for removal of older vehicles from service.  


2. Effective January 1, 2013,  5-year schedule removal of older taxicabs from service:

5 YEAR REMOVAL SCHEDULE
Disposal Year**	Age Policy***	Model Year
2013	15 years and older	1997 and older
2014	12 - 14 years	2000 - 1998
2015	10 - 11 years	2002 - 2001
2016	8 - 9 years	2004 - 2003
2017	7 years or older	2005 - below
** Vehicles must go out of service on Jan 1st of the year listed. *** Mileage is not a factor in this removal schedule.

3. Effective January 1, 2013,  No Vehicle that is more than 5 years old or with more than 300,000 miles will be allowed to be registered as a taxicab in the District of Columbia.

4. Effective January 1, 2018, any taxicab more 7 years old or with more than 400,000 miles will have to be taken out of service.