4966126 Taxicab Commission, DC - Notice of Final Rulemaking - Updates existing fees and clarifies the definition of the integration service fee

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TAXICAB COMMISSION

 

NOTICE OF FINAL RULEMAKING

 

The District of Columbia Taxicab Commission (Commission), pursuant to the authority set forth in Section 8(c)(2) and (c)(20) of the District of Columbia Taxicab Commission Establishment Act of 1985, effective March 25, 1986 (D.C. Law 6-97; D.C. Official Code §§ 50-307(c)(2); (20) (2012 Repl. & 2013 Supp.)) hereby gives notice of the adoption of amendments to Chapters 4 (Taxicab Payment Services), 8 (Operation of Taxicabs), and 11 (Public Vehicles for Hire Consumer Service Fund) of Title 31 (Taxicabs and Public Vehicles for Hire) of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations (DCMR).  

 

The amendments update existing fees authorized by the Commission and clarify the definition of the integration service fee.  These rules are necessary to clarify that the integration service fee must be charged consistently with the integration rules in Chapter 4, not merely “whenever” a digital payment is processed, as the rule had originally been written. These rules are also necessary to fund testing and licensing of new operators by the Office, which cannot otherwise be supported.

 

These rules were originally adopted on September 11, 2013 as a Notice of Emergency and Proposed Rulemaking, became effective on Friday, September 13, 2013, and were published in the D.C. Register on September 27, 2013 at 60 DCR 13446. Portions of the original rulemaking were the subject of a separate final rulemaking adopted by the Commission. A Notice of Second Emergency and Proposed Rulemaking was adopted by the Commission on March 12, 2014,  became effective on Friday, March 14, 2014, and was published in the D.C. Register on April 11, 2014, at 61 DCR 3846. No comments were received on the rulemaking.  The Commission voted to adopt these rules as final on June 11, 2014, and they will become effective upon publication in the D.C. Register.

 

Chapter 4, TAXICAB PAYMENT SERVICES, of Title 31, TAXICABS AND PUBLIC VEHICLES FOR HIRE, of the DCMR, is amended as follows:

 

Section 408, OPERATING REQUIREMENTS APPLICABLE TO PSPs AND DDSs, is amended as follows:

 

Subparagraph 408.16(b)(3)(A) is amended as follows:

 

408.16(b)(3)                            (A)       Hardware integration requirements.  Hardware integration between a PSP and DDS shall provide for and require the following events to occur in the following order:

 

Subparagraph 408.16(b)(3)(A)(iii)(C) is amended by striking the “and” at the end of the

paragraph.

 

Subparagraph 408.16(b)(3)(A)(iv) is amended by striking the period at the end of the

paragraph and inserting the phrase “; and” in its place.

 

A new Subparagraph (v) is added to § 408.16(b)(3)(A) to read as follows:

 

(v)        The DDS shall pay an integration service fee to the PSP. 

 

Subparagraph 408.16(b)(3)(B)(v) is amended as follows:

 

(v)        The DDS shall pay an integration service fee to the PSP. 

 

Section 499, DEFINITIONS, is amended as follows:

 

Subsection 499.2 is amended as follows:

 

The definition of “Integration service fee” is amended to read as follows:

 

“Integration service fee” - a thirty five cent ($0.35) fee paid by each DDS to a PSP with which it is integrated under this chapter, for the use of the PSP’s MTS, each time a digital payment is processed by the DDS, unless the DDS and PSP have integrated in a manner allowed by this chapter that does not require the payment of such fee.

 

 

Chapter 8, OPERATION OF TAXICABS, is amended as follows:

 

Subsection 827.1, Annual Operator ID License, is amended to read:

 

Hack License/Face Card                     $250 for two (2) years

 

Limo License/Face Card                     $300 for two (2) years

 

Taxi/Limo/Sedan Face Card               $550 for two (2) years

 

Subsection 827.1, Pre-License Testing, is amended to read:

 

Pre-License Testing

 

First Testing:                                       $100

 

Second and additional testing:           $75

                       

 

Chapter 11, PUBLIC VEHICLES FOR HIRE CONSUMER SERVICE FUND, is amended as follows:

 

Section 1104, FEES, is amended as follows:

 

Subsection 1104.1, amended to add the following fees:

 

Proposed PSP Application Fee                                   $1000

(§ 403.3)

 

Late Renewal Application Fee –                                $1000

PSP or DDS   

(§§ 406 or 1604.6)

 

Vehicle Age Waiver Fee                                             $50

(§609)

 

Taximeter Business License Fee                                 $2,000;

(§1305.1)                                                                     $500 non-refundable

 

Dome Light Business Application Fee                       $500

(§1505.1)

 

Dome Light Business Biennial Renewal                    $1500

Application Fee

(§1505.3)

 

Pair of taxicab passenger rate stickers            $1.00