Taxicab Confessions and High Fares in D.C.

If you are trying to “cab it” around Washington, D.C. anytime soon, you may want to check your wallet first. Taxicabs fares in the nation’s capital are headed for all time highs.

The D.C. Taxicab Commission voted on December 13 to raise the per mile rate of the city’s cab fares from $1.50 to $2.16. The fee at the start of each ride, or the “drop rate,” will remain at $3. The new hourly wait time rate will now be $25, up from the previous $15 per hour fee.

Cab drivers in the city have waited almost an entire year since Gray’s election to have the commission look at fare increases.

The issue of fare increases in Washington, D.C. is important for a few reasons. First, cab drivers were critical to Gray’s election strategy. Many of them gave free rides to residents and supporters who needed a way to get to the polls to vote for him last year.

The other issue is that the hike brings the District’s fares in line with those of other major markets. Washington, D.C. hasn’t seen a per mile fare increase since 2006. The rates are supposed to be evaluated every two years.

The fare hikes are also a part of Mayor Gray’s eight-point plan to upgrade the city’s cab service — including new credit card machines in all vehicles and new fuel standards. The idea is to make the cabs more consumer-friendly and modernized for today’s passenger needs.

Though the city has dragged its feet on the per mile fare increases, hints that extra revenue was needed became clear.

In October, the Commission dropped its $19 cap on fares for rides inside the District. They already enacted an additional charge to compensate for the high fuel prices of the past few years.

By the end of November, the mayor’s office began to signal that the time could be right for a fare hike.

“[Mayor Gray is] revisiting the fare schedule to ensure it is fair to both drivers and consumers and in line with fares in other cities,” said his spokesman, Pedro Ribeiro, according to The Washington Examiner.

Of course, with an 44 percent per mile fare increase, the city has its share of detractors who worry about residents who can’t absorb the new costs. New fares come at a time when the District’s working to poor class population (largely Black) is getting priced out to the suburbs due to relentless gentrification.

Ron Linton, chairman of the Taxicab Commission, said in September that any fare hike would be mindful of the elderly and low-income residents. Both groups need reliable transportation, but may not have steady financial resources.  Linton’s announcement could ring hollow for cash-strapped demographics.

The grassroots organization, D.C. Taxi Watch, had some strong opinions about the vote and its ties to the mayor. The group of everyday District residents lobbies for reasonable taxi fares, a passenger bill of rights, and industry-standard upgrades to the taxi fleet.

“Certainly any politician is going to work to reward his supporters once they’re in office,” said Jack Jacobson, a spokesperson for D.C. Taxi Watch, told The Washington Examiner.

“I would hope that’s not the case here but it certainly looks that way,” Jacobson added.

Whatever promises Mayor Gray made to District cab drivers, it seems they have happily cashed in on them with the latest fare increase. At a minimum a hike that steep in such a short amount of time is bound to raise an eyebrow or two even with seasoned cab riders.

Matt E. Stevens is the creator and chief blogger of Prune Juice Media. The site takes a sarcastic and informative look at the issues of the day – namely politics and current affairs. The goal of the site is to share information and make people laugh, or at least think. Matt is a contributing writer for Politic365.

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