New DC Taxi Rates
After much emotion, a Halloween strike by cab drivers and claims by cabbies the earth might spin off its axis if cab fares are set too low, the DC government announced the new fare structure.
In a move to simplify the fare structure, the new raters which go into effect April 6th, will eliminate the current zone system and replace it with a distance-sensitive meter system.
The initial meter pull, originally suggested at $4.00 for the first 1/6 mile, was reduced to $3.00, with each additional 1/6 mile costing 25¢.
The additional passenger and rush-hour surcharges are also being eliminated. Maximum fares for rides starting and ending in the District are capped at $18.90, similar to the current maximum in-District fare.
A DC cab organization is reported to be asking drivers to strike one day per week starting in February until at least the end of March to attempt to force the city to reconsider the new fare structure.
Image – Flickr
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[...] the Washington, DC government announced new taxi fare structure for DC cabs, in January, drivers weren’t happy. Most cabbies felt the fares were set [...]
[...] new fare system was established at the beginning of the year and set the initial pull rate at $3.00, with each [...]
The good news is that the online taxi estimators like the one on Washington Post and http://www.taxifarefinder.com have already been updated.
The funny thing about how they reduced it from $4.00 to $3.00? They now charge a “Emergency Fuel Surcharge” of $1.00, so it’s back to $4 again.