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Fenty replacing taxi commission members who opposed meters
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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Three members of the D.C. Taxicab Commission who opposed replacing zone fares with time and distance meters will be replaced by new mayoral appointees.
Mayor Adrian Fenty, who did not let a deadlocked taxi commission stall his plan to install meters in every D.C. cab, last week appointed three people to replace all but one of the members who voted against meters.
Current Commissioners Theresa Travis, William Carter and Stanley Tapscott are out. Appointees Scott Kubly, Paul Cohn and Bart Lasner are in.
Dena Iverson, Fenty’s spokeswoman, said the new members are “filling vacancies” on the commission, as the terms of Travis, Carter and Tapscott had all expired.
This was not a matter of retaliation, she said.
The eight-member commission is charged with licensing all cabs and limousines, setting rates and regulations, and enforcing those rules through hack inspections and other means. Members earn $1,350 per year plus $25 per meeting.
The body deadlocked on what to do about taxi fares in September. A series of votes, all of which ended 4-4, failed to answer whether D.C. should keep zone fares, require time and distance meters, or demand hybrid “zone meters.” Critics of the commission accused its members of punting their responsibility back to Fenty.
A month after that meeting, Fenty went ahead and announced the time and distance meters without the commission’s support. D.C. cab drivers now face $1,000 fines for operating without a meter.
Carter was not surprised about being replaced.
“They want what they want, not necessarily what’s best for the city,” Carter, who backed a zone meter system, said of the Fenty administration. “That’s the way this administration works.”
The fourth commission member to resist meters, former D.C. Councilwoman Sandra Allen, is in her second year of a four-year term.
mneibauer@dcexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
1:18 PM MST on Wed., Aug. 13, 2008 re: "Cab company asking drivers to prepay fees"
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Examiner Reader said:
cabbies shouldn't have to go independent for a company. they should be paid by the cab companies as drivers, as employees. once they're forced to be the ownership of their own cabs, they will hustle and try to outgun each other on the road.
1 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
What comes with meters in DC Taxicabs without the historical shared ride system? Winter is on it's way and major transportation problems for people that don't own a car and thats 80% of people living in DC. God for bid an Emergency need of a Taxicab on the NE or SE side of the US Capitol.>>Billy Ray a over 40 year DC Hacker/Taxicab/Owner/Operator.
4 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Try being an african american at 12 a m see how fast you get a taxi, might as well walk
4 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
how many licensed drivers are there ? what is the earnings differential june 2006 2007 2008 ? plastic dividers to prevent distractions/cell phones how many people really take a cab more than 10 times a year ? Random drug testing for public protection
4 agree | 3 disagree
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Lenny Kovlak National cab driver #56 said:
3.5 years driving taxi in SF, & one of the reasons the general public complains about cab service in SF is that Our Great City welcomes All. Some of the new immigrants that find themselves behind the wheel of a Taxi, aren't that comfortable enough with the English language to be listening & responding to their Cab companies dispatch radios. There are spaces for 175 cabs to queue at SFO. & the hotel cab stands are full . National/Veterans/United Cabs will come out to Park Merced to get customers. Peace, drive safely, Lenny
4 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader re. drunkard cabbie said:
"To the previous comment. It does not seem like people are defending the medallion holder, but criticizing Ms. Thigpen for being so too harsh." Just what does a medallion holder have to do to be revoked? "When the Bd of Appeals has tried to find a more suitable punishment." Allowing to have his medallion but without the driving hardly seems like punishment does it? "I do agree that public safety cannot be risked. We must ask ourselves. Has he ever had a problem on the job? Now this is really intellectually dishonest. "How do we know that 40 years as a driver is non-sense?" Because he did not drive for 10 years. "Did he commit perjury or was he stuck in a situation in order to keep his medallion?" Perjury is Ok if you need to keep your medallion? "It is too easy to say take away the medallion and find another job when you are obviouly better off and not in the mans shoes" he was a dispatcher and a good one I hear. Most dispatchers don't have a med. and they live.
4 agree | 3 disagree
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citizen SF said:
To the previous comment. It does not seem like people are defending the medallion holder, but criticizing Ms. Thigpen for being so too harsh. When the Bd of Appeals has tried to find a more suitable punishment. She has a real bad reputation in the Taxi Industry and amongst her coworkers. I do agree that public safety cannot be risked. We must ask ourselves. Has he ever had a problem on the job? How do we know that 40 years as a driver is non-sense? Did he commit perjury or was he stuck in a situation in order to keep his medallion? Do you really think the Board would put him back out there, if he was a risk to public safety? It is too easy to say take away the medallion and find another job when you are obviouly better off and not in the mans shoes. Or will ever be in such a position.
3 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader re. drunkard cabbie said:
I can't believe people are standing up for this SF medallion holder. He committed perjury 7 times on the clearly written forms. Has not driven a cab for years (40 years as a driver is non-sense!) If anybody ever deserved to lose a medallion it is him. The Bd of Appeals is disgusting in the way they ignore the rules and laws just wing it. There are hundreds of thousands of people in SF that make a livelihood. Let him find another type. I don't want my family in any cab driven by him. He has had too many relapses and public safety can't be risked. No driving no medallion. give it to the next driver in line.
5 agree | 3 disagree
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CAB DRIVER SF said:
If the cabbie alcohol problem never conflicted with his job then what business is it of the taxi commssion? I understand there was obviously a period of time that he did not fullfill the drivers requirement because of his license being suspended. The Commission really has no rule for such a situation and only seeks to enforce the requirement. Without looking at the situation as a whole. The unfortunate part of all these rules is that they only look at the drivers current driving status and NOT the 10 to 40 years a driver may have put in previous. A medallion holder could drive for 20 years and have his medallion taken away for not driving in the last year. As far as , Ms. Thigpen goes, she is just a politian who is just stepping on the SF Taxi Industry on her way up the ladder. Without any consideration for how DANGEROUS the job is . She doesn't care if the medallion holder risked their life driving a taxi. She just wants to take medallions away to make herself look good. Yuppie snob!
3 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Examiner takes up whole front page DUI Cabbie. Then I turn to page 27 Baseball All-Stars; and read about Josh Hamilton. Top pick in 1999 baseball draft before an addiction to drugs and alchol knocked him out of baseball. Hamilton's story of rehabilitation and redemption makes good reading. "It's a wonderful story," said Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella. "he's a good kid who lost his way and re-found it." Why the double standard. Rehabilited Cabbie Negative story. Rehabilited rookie baseball player Positive story. Working stiff decorated Viet Nam veteran cabbie; with 40 years on the job is vilified because he happened to obtain a valued medallion. Now the Executive Director of the Taxi Commission want's to revoke his medallion. Why? The Board of Appeals reviewed his case and said he should retain his medallion. Thigpen is of the opinion that cab drivers cannot be rehabilitated, and should be condemned for life. She shows a lack of compassion for her underlings. Shame!
11 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Only in this city.
4 agree | 2 disagree
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SF Taxi Driver said:
This is an excellent report and great insight into the lack of enforcement at the medallion holder level. Medallion holders too often feel privileged and they are abusing their privileges. The facts are correct, excellent work.
4 agree | 9 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
"Metered cab fares start at $3, plus a $1 gas surcharge, and increase 25 cents for each one-sixth of a mile traveled, or for every minute stopped in traffic or moving under 10 mph." That is a $4 drop charge. Seems like it is way too much. Lower it.
8 agree | 7 disagree
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Karl Rudder said:
On November 6, 1931 the DC Public Utilities Commission issued order no. 956 and listed 20 reasons to, "deny any version of the zone system to replace meters in DC taxicabs." (Free copy of PUC order no. 956 available by calling the Public Service Commission) Congress passed insulting legislation that forced the use of the zone system ("The Taxicab Rider" Wash. Post editorial 11/13/71) regardless of the fact that Judge Adkins completely upheld PUC order no. 956 (PUR 1932C pg 1) and the Appeals Court upheld Judge Adkins decision. The DC City Council has wasted hundreds of millions of dollars in maintaining the DC Taxicab Commission since 1987 just as Congress had created the DCTC and now the installation of meters in DC cabs is being persistently presented as merely an element of liking of Mayor Fenty. I have testified before the DC City Council since 1975 to make issue of the still standing court decisions to expose the fact that the DC taxicab zone system had not ever been approved!
7 agree | 7 disagree
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Karl Rudder said:
My address to the unique DC Taxicab Zone System has always been based on the basic, undeniable yet little known facts. Fact 1 - Meters were the original means that were used to compute taxicab fares in the District of Columbia. Fact 2 - The "zone system" was denied by the DC Public Utilities Commission for 20 reasons when they issued PUC order no. 956 on 11/6/31. (Free copy of PUC order no. 956 is available by calling the DC Public Service Commission) Fact 3 - The decision by the DC Public Utilities Commission was completely upheld by Judge Adkins (1932 PUR volC page 1) and Judge Adkins decision was upheld by the DC Appeals Court. (1932 75 F2d 1005) Fact 4 - The District of Columbia is the only major city in this country that does not use a meter to equitably compute taxicab fares as well as serve as a reliable means to record the income and compute the taxes due from local taxicab companies and drivers. Fact 5 - Reason no. 9 on PUC order no. 956 stated: "That proper account
8 agree | 7 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
As a D.C. resident who is excited to be able to economically ride taxis again, I say "hallelujah." The taxi industry's attempts to convince people that time-and-distance meters will result in higher prices are laughable.
11 agree | 8 disagree
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Billy Ray Edwards said:
I know why you censored my comment on the DC taxicab issue,all one has to do is check Mayor Fenty,Campain finance you will find out the Mayor took money from VA and MD taxicab CO.
83 agree | 71 disagree
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hurricanewarningdc said:
I feel no sympathy for the cab drivers. None at all. The problem isn't that they'll make less money on the meter system than the zone system. Rather, the problem is that since most cabbies are crooks (in my experience and the experience of every person I know who lives in or visits DC), the meter system will reduce the extra money that they were pocketing illegally. They'll likely make more money with more rides via meter... but if you tack on what they were getting for the false charges for extra zones, baggage fees, etc, some will definitely lose out. As a consumer, all I can say is "bravo."
69 agree | 84 disagree
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Steve said:
Thank you, Mayor, not only for the meters but making sure that they are reasonable. How DC cabs think they deserve higher than New York ones is beyond me. And do they really think the strike will cripple the city? Guess what. We consumers can strike, too. No tips until this is resolved.
115 agree | 101 disagree
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Billy Ray Edwards said:
It should not be a decission of the mayor on meters in this unique histrocal taxicabs system in DC and the residents should have right to make this decission though referedum with the vote.
139 agree | 156 disagree
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recyclist said:
Let's switch to meters already!!! It's simply ridiculous that we are still clinging to this unfair and arbitrary zone system. And while we're at it, let's get rid of the fuel surcharge and replace it with a per-mile or per-minute fuel rate increase. Why should a person taking a 1-mile trip pay the same fuel surcharge as someone traveling from NW to SE? Let the users pay the actual costs of their cab rides.
224 agree | 214 disagree
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