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Cabs harder to catch in D.C. today
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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Bewildered travelers faced 30-minute waits for taxis Wednesday as drivers in the District of Columbia embarked on a 24-hour Halloween strike to protest the mayor's decision to require meters in cabs.
At Union Station, the line for taxis reached several dozen people as morning trains from New York City and other points arrived. A dispatcher called out destinations to encourage people to share the scarce cabs, and unlicensed drivers trolled the back of the line for potential passengers.
At downtown hotels, doormen said they were steering more of their business to limousine companies to fill the gap.
It was unclear exactly how many cab drivers were participating in the strike. Officials with the Taxicab Industry Group, one of several organizations representing drivers, had predicted a majority of the city's approximately 7,500 drivers would stay off the streets on Halloween, a traditionally high-volume day.
But Mayor Adrian M. Fenty told The Associated Press he believed the city would have no trouble managing. He noted that D.C. "has some transportation alternatives" for commuters and tourists, including the Metro subway system and buses.
Paula Ong, of Plymouth Meeting, Pa., arrived at Union Station about 9 a.m. for a meeting in northern Virginia. Standing in the taxi line, she said she was unaware of the strike until a reporter told her.
"Hence the long line," she said.
Ong said she might consider alternatives to taxis during her visit. Just then, a man approached people at the back of the line. "Anyone going to Virginia?" he asked.
"Yeah, Virginia," Ong said, and followed him to his car.
Those who stayed in line ended up waiting more than half an hour to get into a cab.
Taxis licensed in Virginia and Maryland can drive people to D.C., but are not allowed to pick up fares in the city.
The strike also took D.C. resident Shown Marshall by surprise. She had hoped to catch a cab because she was running late for work.
"But now I'm going to get out of this line," she said, turning to walk to the Metro station. "This is terrible."
At the Phoenix Park Hotel, doorman Jerry Agenar said he called several limo companies last night to cover the morning rush for people headed to the airport.
At the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel, head doorman Carleton Richards said he also steered some business to limos. In general, though, he was finding cabs could be found - with a little patience.
Compared to D.C.'s last taxi strike in 2004, "I would say this one is a lot more manageable," Richards said.
That strike was just 12 hours long, but the issue was the same. Then-Mayor Anthony A. Williams was planning a pilot program to put meters in cabs in order to ultimately do away with the city's longtime fare system, in which the price of a ride depends on geographic zones.
Williams did not end up doing away with the much-criticized zone system, but Fenty has said he will. He announced Oct. 17 that he will go along with a provision passed by Congress to abolish zones and require meters like those used in every other major U.S. city. The provision gave Fenty the option to opt out of the switch, but forced him to make a choice one way or the other.
However, the details of the change have not been worked out.
Many taxi drivers fear they will lose business under the change, which is expected to make long rides more expensive. They also say it will make it easier for big companies to dominate the business, forcing out many independent operators.
Taxi drivers in New York City have held two strikes this fall. The walkouts there were a response to new regulations that require the installation of new equipment that would let passengers watch TV, pay with credit cards and check their location using a global-positioning system. Those strikes did not cause major disruptions.
The true test of how bad the D.C. strike is could come in the evening, as Halloween revelers look for rides to and from parties.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
