Dena Levitz, The Examiner
2008-04-26 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

Another attempt by D.C. taxi drivers to stall the implementation of time-and-distance meters failed Friday when a Superior Court judge denied their request for an emergency injunction.

Judge Brook Hedge, who earlier this week supported the mayor's authority to make the call on the mode of cab payment, again sided with the city.

Mayor Adrian Fenty announced Tuesday, in response to the original ruling, that drivers are advised to install the meters by May 1 but that they won't receive $1,000 citations until June 1.

Hedge pointed out this soft implementation will certainly create confusion and result in the city running a dual system in which passengers could be charged either zone or meter fares for a month.

In the end, though, she restated that Congress did give the mayor the power to decide this.

"There will be disruption ... but the directive of the mayor goes forward," the judge said.

Jeffrey O'Toole, lawyer for the taxi drivers, advocated for pushing back the time-and-distance meters until after the busy tourist season.

He also gave several anecdotal examples about cab companies in danger of going out of business because of the time-and-distance meter switch.

"You can hold the horses. You can create the calm," he said to the judge. "The injury gets greater and greater and becomes harder to reverse."

Whether all 7,000 cab drivers in the city will be able to get the meters in place on time remains a question. At this point, fewer than 200 drivers have the equipment.

Interim Attorney General Peter Nickles said the District was working "around the clock" with between 15 and 17 companies installing the meters.

He also said the issuance of fines starting June 1 won't be absolute, pledging if drivers make a good-faith effort to get the meters but can't, exceptions could be made.

The drivers will next take their case to the Court of Appeals. A court date has not been set.

dlevitz@dcexaminer.com