-
DEPARTMENT OF FOR-HIRE VEHICLES
NOTICE OF FINAL RULEMAKING
The Acting Director of the Department of For-Hire Vehicles (“Department” or “DFHV”), pursuant to the authority set forth in Sections 8(c)(2), (3), (5), (7), and (19), 14, and 20 of the District of Columbia Taxicab Commission Establishment Act of 1985 (“Establishment Act”), effective March 25, 1986 (D.C. Law 6-97), as amended by the Transportation Reorganization Amendment Act of 2016, effective June 22, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-0124; D.C. Official Code §§ 50-301.07(c) (2) (3), (5), (7), and (19), 50-301.13, and 50-301.19 (2014 Repl. & 2015 Supp.)), and D.C. Official Code §§ 47-2829(b), (d), (e), (e-1), and (i) (2015 Repl.)), hereby gives notice of the adoption of amendments to Chapter 6 (Taxicab Parts and Equipment) of Title 31 (Taxicabs and Public Vehicles For Hire) of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR).
This final rulemaking would amend Chapter 6 by adding a provision to the equipment requirements for modern taximeter systems (MTSs) in § 603, to require that each MTS allow the passenger to rate the ride experience through the rear console. The rule facilitates real-time passenger feedback about the use of the District’s taxicabs, as part of the Commission’s ongoing efforts to enhance customer service and improve the competitive position of taxicabs in the vehicle-for-hire ecosystem.
Proposed rulemaking was adopted by the D.C. Taxicab Commission[1] on January 20, 2016 and was published in the D.C. Register on May 20, 2016 at 63 DCR 007702. The Commission received no comments during the comment period which expired on June 20, 2016. Any changes made from the proposed rules were solely to correct grammar and typographic errors, to clarify the Department’s intent, or to lessen the burdens on affected stakeholders. No substantial changes have been made from the proposed rulemaking.
The rules were adopted as final on June 29, 2016, and they will become effective upon publication in the D.C. Register.
Chapter 6, TAXICAB PARTS AND EQUIPMENT, of Title 31 DCMR, TAXICABS AND PUBLIC VEHICLES FOR HIRE, is amended as follows:
Section 603, Modern Taximeter Systems, is amended as follows:
Subsection 603.8, MTS EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS, is amended to add a new paragraph (o), to read as follows:
(o) Each MTS shall allow the passenger to rate the ride experience through the rear console in a manner set forth in an administrative issuance.
[1] The District of Columbia Taxicab Commission was renamed and re-structured as the Department of For-Hire Vehicles by the Transportation Reorganization Act of 2016, effective June 22, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-0124; 63 DCR 7076 (May 13, 2016)).
