The D.C. Taxicab Commission voted Saturday to charge an extra $1.50 on taxi rides in the district.
"We felt like we needed to help the drivers meet the costs of operation," said Causton Toney, the commission's interim chairman, in a washingtonpost.com article. "It wasn't a difficult decision."
The charge, which is due in part to the rising cost of gas, is expected to be in effect for at least 120 days.
The rising price of a cab ride hasn't slowed down demand. "Our calls haven't been affected, we still receive the same amount each day," said a Comfort Cab spokeswoman.
According to Jerry Schaeffer of the Comfort Cab Association, most of his drivers own their own cars. "The vast majority of my employees are independent contractors," he said. "Whatever the cabbies make with the surcharge they keep."
Many suburban jurisdictions already added a surcharge to taxi rides. Montgomery County increased its surcharge from 50 cents to $1.50 a ride last week, and Prince William County supervisors approved a 75 cents surcharge, according to a washingtonpost.com article.
Gas prices in the district are one of the highest in the nation, according to AAA.com. The average price last week was $3.34 per gallon, which is up more than a $1 from last year.
Schaeffer hopes that sometime in the next three to four months gas prices will go down.
The fare for a one-zone cab ride in the district is typically $5.50 but with the new surcharge the price would increase to $7.
There is not much students can do about the situation, said John O'Trakoun, a sophomore in the School of International Service. "The price of gas is determined by a lot of factors, such as the disaster in the Gulf."
O'Trakoun plans to walk rather than use the D.C. taxi system. "I think that people should find or organize other means to get around," he said.
Claudia Imel, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she didn't think the price increase would have an effect. "There is always another option than paying the increased fair but in the end, I wont be decreasing my cab rides at all"
