DC Cabs (Almost) Switch to Meters
Starting yesterday, May 1st, Washington, DC taxicabs were supposed to have meters installed. Drivers caught without meters and still charging by zones, will be issued warning tickets.
The new fare system was established at the beginning of the year and set the initial pull rate at $3.00, with each additional 1/6 mile an extra 25¢.
Starting June 1, DC Police will be instructed to write cabbies tickets, that will result in fines up to $1,000 per incident.
The shift from zones to time/distance was designed to eliminate the possibility of unscrupulous cabbies charging higher fares. The move was popular with tourist groups since most tourists have no way to determine how many zones they traveled during a ride in Washington, DC.
Cab drivers have been whining for months about the high cost of installing a meter ($400), and how meters will reduce their earnings and end civilization as we know it.
Several work stoppages have been called by drivers since October, in protest to the new consumer-protecting fare system.
Based on some estimates, less than 25% in the cabs have installed new meters.
If you climb into a cab after June 1st and you don’t see a meter, either get out of the cab or negotiate the full fare before you let the driver start the trip. You may also file a complaint against any driver that does not have a meter installed after the first, to the DC Taxicab Commission by e-mailing [email protected].
Image - meter
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