FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 11, 2013

CONTACT:           Neville Waters (202) 645-6020; [email protected]

The DC Taxicab Commission (DCTC) approved today the publication of emergency and proposed rulemaking pertaining to Chapter 16 establishing substantive rules governing dispatch services for public vehicles-for-hire to ensure the safety of passengers and operators, to protect consumers and to collect the passenger surcharge. The effective date is Friday, September 13, 2013.

The Commission also approved the publication of combined rulemaking to update fees, propose new fees, clarify the amount of an integration fee and correct inconsistencies relating to the amount of the passenger surcharge.

Two petitions were accepted and referred to the Panel on Industry for their recommended disposition. The petitions requested extensions of deadlines for the implementation of the sedan vehicle class definition and the integration of Digital Dispatch Services (DDSs) with Payment Service Providers (PSPs).

The two rulemakings approved for publication are expected to be published in the D.C. Register on Friday, September 20, 2013. There will be a 30-day public comment period that will conclude on Monday, October 21, 2013. Comments should be submitted via email to [email protected] or by mail to Jacques P. Lerner, General Counsel and Secretary to the Commission, DCTC, 2041 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE, Suite 204, Washington, D.C. 20020.