Dozens of drivers who couldn't make it inside protested in the cold. Photograph by Benjamin Freed.
Hundreds of angry cab drivers jammed the lobby of the DC government building at 441 Fourth Street, Northwest, where the DC Taxicab Commission was meeting this morning, continuing their protest against recently enacted regulations requiring cabs to modernize.
The meeting became so raucous with outbursts from disgruntled cabbies, who were encouraged to attend by the Teamsters union, that the commission’s chairman, Ron Linton, was adjourn the session early, prompting shouts of, “Shame on you!” Cabbies are still steamed about having to install new rooftop lights, which they say have cost around $450, more than what they were initially advised. They are also upset that for the past few weeks, the Taxicab Commission has been ticketing and towing cabs that do not have the new lamps, which were supposed to be installed by November 1.
“I don’t have any problem with updating the taxi system,” said Birhana Gebreyes, a driver who says he put in the new light before the deadline. “They just impose it on us. There’s unfair treatment by the inspectors.”
The commission had offered drivers who submitted written testimony in advance to speak at the meeting, but the scene inside quickly unraveled when dozens of hacks demanded time. Many more drivers who couldn’t make it past security were left to stand outside in the cold chanting with Teamsters representatives. More than 1,800 cabbies have signed up for a recently formed drivers’ association that the Teamsters are representing, the labor group said.
Drivers also want the commission to include more members from their ranks. The commission’s current makeup includes two drivers, but Gebreyes said they do not represent their colleagues well. “We don’t have enough representation,” he said.
But the drivers might be overstating some of their grievances at this point. Neville Waters, a spokesman for the Taxicab Commission, told Washingtonian that through last Friday, 5,500 of the city’s 6,500 cabs now sport the new lights, with hundreds more scheduled to get them this week. Additionally, there have been only 30 enforcement actions against cabs not in compliance, Waters said.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Cab Drivers and Teamsters Shut Down Taxi Commission Meeting Over New Regulations
Complaints from hundreds of drivers about rooftop lights caused the meeting to end early.
Hundreds of angry cab drivers jammed the lobby of the DC government building at 441 Fourth Street, Northwest, where the DC Taxicab Commission was meeting this morning, continuing their protest against recently enacted regulations requiring cabs to modernize.
The meeting became so raucous with outbursts from disgruntled cabbies, who were encouraged to attend by the Teamsters union, that the commission’s chairman, Ron Linton, was adjourn the session early, prompting shouts of, “Shame on you!” Cabbies are still steamed about having to install new rooftop lights, which they say have cost around $450, more than what they were initially advised. They are also upset that for the past few weeks, the Taxicab Commission has been ticketing and towing cabs that do not have the new lamps, which were supposed to be installed by November 1.
“I don’t have any problem with updating the taxi system,” said Birhana Gebreyes, a driver who says he put in the new light before the deadline. “They just impose it on us. There’s unfair treatment by the inspectors.”
The commission had offered drivers who submitted written testimony in advance to speak at the meeting, but the scene inside quickly unraveled when dozens of hacks demanded time. Many more drivers who couldn’t make it past security were left to stand outside in the cold chanting with Teamsters representatives. More than 1,800 cabbies have signed up for a recently formed drivers’ association that the Teamsters are representing, the labor group said.
Drivers also want the commission to include more members from their ranks. The commission’s current makeup includes two drivers, but Gebreyes said they do not represent their colleagues well. “We don’t have enough representation,” he said.
But the drivers might be overstating some of their grievances at this point. Neville Waters, a spokesman for the Taxicab Commission, told Washingtonian that through last Friday, 5,500 of the city’s 6,500 cabs now sport the new lights, with hundreds more scheduled to get them this week. Additionally, there have been only 30 enforcement actions against cabs not in compliance, Waters said.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Another Mysterious Anti-Trump Statue Has Appeared on the National Mall
DC Pedestrian Killed by Truck Carrying Tank From Trump’s Parade, Kristi Noem Went to Hospital for Allergic Reaction, and Most Virginia Primary Results Are In
Smaller Crowds, Big Emotions for Army’s 250th: What We Heard Around DC
Man Jumps From AU Radio Tower in Apparent Suicide
PHOTOS: “No Kings” Protests Draw Thousands in DC Area
Washingtonian Magazine
June Issue: Pride Guide
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
How Would a New DC Stadium Compare to the Last One?
The Culture of Lacrosse Is More Complex Than People Think
Did Television Begin in Dupont Circle?
Kings Dominion’s Wild New Coaster Takes Flight in Virginia
More from News & Politics
What to Know About the Dupont Circle “Deckover” Project
Nine Minutes With Jonathan Van Ness
War Not About Regime Change Upgraded to War About Regime Change, Alleged Ed Martin Spitter Faces More Spitting Charges, and We Spent a Few Minutes With Jonathan Van Ness
Trump Roams White House in Search of an Audience, Dismay in Richmond Cost Levar Stoney, and Miss Pixie’s Will Close
DC Pedestrian Killed by Truck Carrying Tank From Trump’s Parade, Kristi Noem Went to Hospital for Allergic Reaction, and Most Virginia Primary Results Are In
Another Mysterious Anti-Trump Statue Has Appeared on the National Mall
Army Says Tanks Didn’t Damage DC’s Streets; Trump Attends, Leaves G-7 Summit; and an Alligator Got Escorted Out of Fairfax
5 Things to Know About the New Trump Smartphone