TheFightBack

LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF DC CAB DRIVERS, JUNE 26, 2011:

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[You can hear the show live, not just on the radio, but also at wust1120.com or on your cell phone at (712) 432-6620. The Voice of DC Cab Drivers airs Sundays from 7:00-8:00 p.m.]

Wednesday, the D.C. Taxicab Commission held a public meeting at the U.S. Park Police headquarters in Anacostia Park. The subject of the meeting was the proposed changes to Chapters 5 and 9 of Title 31, the regulatory code that governs the taxicab industry.

Less than an hour into the meeting, I snapped a photo of the commissioners on the dais and was told by a hack inspector that this was prohibited. The hack inspector – with the first initial “K.” and the last name “Bears” written on his shirt – stood in my way so I couldn’t take another photo of the commissioners. I settled on taking his picture. Not long after, things turned chaotic. Continue reading →

LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF DC CAB DRIVERS, JUNE 19, 2011:

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[You can hear the show live, not just on the radio, but also at wust1120.com or on your cell phone at (712) 432-6620. The Voice of DC Cab Drivers airs Sundays from 7:00-8:00 p.m.]

Today is not only Fathers’ Day, but also Juneteenth, which commemorates June 19, 1865, when slavery in the state of Texas ended, 146 years ago today.

Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells, who chairs the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, has decided not to hold a hearing on the controversial taxicab medallion bill before the D.C. Council’s summer recess.
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LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF DC CAB DRIVERS, JUNE 6:

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[The next scheduled meeting of the D.C. Taxicab Commission – according to the DCTC website (dctaxi.dc.gov) – is Wednesday, June 15, 2011 10:00 a.m. at the U.S. Park Police, 1100 Ohio Drive, SW, 2nd Floor Auditorium]

Wednesday, June 1, hundreds of D.C. taxicab drivers rallied at Freedom Plaza in front of the John A. Wilson Building to call for an end to the attacks on the industry. Drivers highlighted two main issues: the medallion bill and the attempted change to Title 31, the legal framework that governs the taxicab industry. The rally was organized by The Small Business Association of DC Taxicab Drivers. Continue reading →

Tuesday on NewsTalk with Bruce DePuyt on NewsChannel 8, Pete discussed today’s taxi rally (1 p.m. at Freedom Plaza, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW).

Two of the main concerns drivers have are the recently introduced medallion legislation and the attempted rewrite of Title 31, the legal framework that governs the taxicab industry.

(Both of these issues were discussed in yesterday’s post: June 1 Rally at Freedom Plaza: D.C. Taxi Drivers Demand an End to Attacks on Industry).

D.C. taxicab drivers to rally Wednesday June 1 at 1:00 p.m. at Freedom Plaza (1350 Pennsylvania Ave, NW)

The District of Columbia’s taxicab drivers are under attack. May 27, The Small Business Association of DC Taxicab Drivers attempted to submit a petition signed by more than 900 licensed taxi drivers in opposition to the attempt to rewrite the legal framework that governs the taxicab industry (Title 31). The D.C. Taxicab Commission (DCTC) responded by pushing drivers out, locking the doors, contacting the police and calling the group “a mob.”

Also, several councilmembers recently sponsored legislation that would bring taxicab medallions to D.C. If passed, the medallion bill is likely to lead to the loss of more than 4,000 jobs, as well as “windfall profits for a small group of people; an overall decline in service with longer waits and higher fares; and a system open to corruption,” the Washington Post noted in an editorial. Continue reading →