LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF DC CAB DRIVERS, MAY 15, 2011:
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Welcome to The Voice of DC Cab Drivers brought to you by the Dominion of Cab Drivers, here on WUST 1120 AM. I’m Pete Tucker with TheFightBack, TheFightBack.org , where this show will be archived, as are past shows.
The recently introduced medallion legislation has the potential to cause thousands of D.C. taxicab drivers to lose their jobs. And now there is another major threat. At Wednesday’s hearing of the D.C. Taxicab Commission, Interim Chair Dena Reed proposed changes to Title 31 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations.
Title 31 is supposed to offer the legal framework that governs the taxicab industry. Nathan Price, chairman of the D.C. Professional Taxicab Drivers Association, said, “Title 31 was the bible that the industry used for the operation of taxicab service within the District of Columbia. However because of lack of proper revision and not following the D.C. Code it is merely a collection of opinions or desires of politicians or bureaucrats.”
Interim Chair Dena Reed is attempting to amend Chapters 6 and 8 of Title 31. The proposed changes include increasing the authority of hack inspectors, as well as forcing drivers to buy a new vehicle every five years. At Wednesday’s meeting, a driver asked Ms. Reed why she was attempting to force drivers to buy a new car every five years:
[ACTUALITY: Abebe]
That was Abebe Abadi questioning Interim Chair Dena Reed at Wednesday’s D.C. Taxicab Commission hearing on the proposed changes to Chapters 6 and 8 of Title 31.
On the subject of hack inspectors, Negede Abebe, chairman of Grand Cab Company, had this to say:
[ACTUALITY: Negede Abebe]
That was Negede Abebe of Grand Cab Company at Wednesday’s DCTC hearing.
Nathan Price also brought up the issue of hack inspectors.
[ACTUALITY: Nathan Price]
That was Nathan Price speaking at Wednesday’s meeting of the DCTC.
While Dena Reed is the interim chair it was not clear to everyone that she was in fact in charge.
[ACTUALITY: ‘Scott Kubly running meeting’]
Those were some of the voices from Wednesday’s D.C. Taxicab Commission hearing on the proposed changes to Chapters 6 and 8 of Title 31.
Initially, Ms. Reed had said that she would be banning anyone who tried to record Wednesday’s meeting. Signs posted around the D.C. Taxicab Commission stated, “Without the express prior approval of the District of Columbia Taxicab Commission there shall be NO television cameras, No video taping and No audio taping of DC Taxicab Commission proceedings.”
The day before the hearing I asked Ms. Reed about this and she said cameras would be “disruptive” because there are taxicab “drivers who take a different attitude when a camera is on.” Ms. Reed also stated that there wasn’t enough space in the DCTC hearing room to accommodate cameras.
Legally, neither of these explanations may be very strong. And when I arrived at Wednesday’s DCTC meeting and placed my recorder right on the witness table, Ms. Reed had nothing to say, despite the fact that the signs on the wall declared this to be improper.
This is not the first time Ms. Reed attempted to ban reporters from DCTC meetings. In her capacity as general counsel under former Chair Leon Swain, who was recently fired by Mayor Gray, Ms. Reed attempted to kick Fox 5 photojournalist Jason Smith out of the March meeting:
[ACTUALITY: Ms. Reed attempting to ban Smith]
That was then-General Counsel Dena Reed attempting to ban Fox 5 photojournalist Jason Smith from the March DCTC meeting. Ms. Reed was unsuccessful then, as she was once again at this Wednesday’s D.C. Taxicab Commission hearing.
This is The Voice of DC Cab Drivers brought to you by Dominion of Cab Drivers here on WUST 1120 AM. I’m Pete Tucker with TheFightBack, TheFightBack.org <http://thefightback.org/> , where this show and past shows can be found.
Tonight we’ll be talking about the proposed changes to Chapters 6 and 8 of Title 31. To join the conversation call (703) 534-9878.
According to the D.C. Taxicab Commission website, “The comment period on the proposed amendments is open until May 31, 2011, 12 midnight.” Comments can be emailed to dctc3@dc.gov or mailed to DCTC, 2041 Martin Luther King Jr., Ave, SE, 20020, Attention: Dena Reed.