Cabbies Urge D.C. Council to Lift Fare Cap, Allow Shared Rides Again

Dozens of D.C. taxi drivers said yesterday that they have lost one-third of their revenue since last year's switch from zoned fares to meters and that a $19 cap on rides is also hurting their profits.

At a D.C. Council hearing, drivers testified that they want the city to lift the fare cap because it prevents them from charging a reasonable fare for longer trips. The drivers also said city officials should bring back shared rides, meaning drivers could pick up more than one passenger at a time. The law that ushered in metered cabs last year banned shared rides and instituted a one-fare-per-person system.

Yenenew Ayalew, a cabdriver who lives in Arlington County and works in the District, said instituting the meter switch and the fare cap simultaneously "was like having your cake and eating it, too." He told Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), chairman of the council's Committee on Public Works and Transportation, that his profits have dropped between 30 and 40 percent.

Drivers were packed into a small room at the Wilson Building for the oversight hearing of the D.C. Taxicab Commission. They burst into applause and cheers when fellow cabbies shared stories of frustration that there had been little change since a task force made recommendations last fall. They laughed openly when anyone praised the performance of the nine-member commission, headed by Leon J. Swain.

Graham praised Swain's leadership but raised questions about the commission's operations. He said the commission had not adhered to the law requiring several public meetings a month to review rates and complaints and tend to other business. "I'm very concerned whether the commission is functioning as a commission," he said.

Graham said he wants the commission to lift the fare cap and bring back shared rides or explain why those changes are not possible. He also asked Swain to report back on the financial impact of meters and how cabs are inspected.

Swain said that some of the drivers' concerns are valid and that he would follow up on the complaints and Graham's requests.

"We're going to go and review everything and come up with a response," he said.