Fares for the taxis in the District of Columbia are going up by 44 percent. The 44 percent hike will go into effect on Saturday and means the per-mile fare will go from $1.50 to $2.16. The cost for idling will go from $15 to $25 per hour. Taxi rides during snow emergencies will see a flat fee of $15 per trip. The $1 fuel surcharge was voted for by the commissioner to extend through June 20, 2012.
As some fees will be allowed to go down, cab drivers will continue to have the ability to charge a bag fee, but only if the driver handles the bags, places them inside the trunk of the cab, and removes them for the passenger, according to Chairman of the D.C. Taxicab Commission Ron Linton. Linton also adds that only vans will be allowed to charge an extra fee for additional passengers, and they can only charge the fee for up to 3 extra passengers. There are no additional fees after the fourth passenger. The hike in taxi fares is intended to bring taxicab revenues and average prices for riders to levels similar to those before May 2008, when D.C. moved from a zone-based fare system to a meter-based system.
