By David Betancourt
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 3, 2008 12:47 PM

The District's taxicab fuel surcharge is about to be ditched, a welcome casualty of declining gas prices.

Sherry A. Tillman, an official with the D.C. Taxi Cab Commission, said that the $1 surcharge added to every ride will be rescinded, effective tomorrow. In a meeting Tuesday night, when no agreement was reached, Leon Swain, chairman of the Taxi Cab Commission took emergency action and ordered the surcharge removed.

Tillman said the action was in response to complaints from members of the public who questioned why they still had to pay the surcharge when gas prices have dropped significantly.

The decision came as a task force is recommending an increase in fares, six months after District taxis switched from zones to time and distance meters.

Task force members said a rate increase is needed to bring District fares up to the level of those charged in neighboring jurisdictions and other similar-size cities.

The proposed fare structure would leave the drop rate at $3, already one of the highest in the country. But the per-mile fee would increase by at least a third, from $1.50 a mile to $2 a mile or more. In addition the hourly wait charge would increase from $15 to $24.

Roy Spooner, general manager of Yellow Cab and one of 13 members of the task force, said the group concluded that drivers in the District were not being compensated fairly compared with drivers in other jurisdictions.

"We don't see it as an increase," he said of the drivers' perspective. "We see it as an adjustment."

Leon Swain, chairman of the D.C. Taxicab Commission and another task force member, said a final decision will be made next year by the full seven-member commission.

The task force has been meeting for about a year. It is made up of representatives of various interest groups, including taxi drivers, limousine companies and riders. D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) also sits on the task force.

District taxis began using time and distance meters in June, ending a decades-long tradition of using zones to calculate fares.

Spooner said most of the task force's 73-page report focused on service improvements. But as a result, he said, rates must rise.

"If you demand improved service," he said, "one of the things we're going to look at is the people providing the service. How are they being compensated?"

Among its recommendations, the task force said the taxi commission should set a date by which 5 percent of cabs in the city will be wheelchair accessible.

It also recommended that, before they get licenses, District cab drivers should be tested for English proficiency, knowledge of the geographic area, cultural sensitivity and how to serve handicapped passengers.

A spokeswoman for Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), who supported the switch from zones to meters, said: "It is important to balance the economic concerns of the taxi drivers and their passengers. We encourage the Taxicab Commission to consider all of the recommendations from the task force and make a decision that will address the needs of both groups."