‘chauffeur’
courtesy of ‘NCinDC’
As of yesterday, 1000 DC cabbies, about 1/8th of the city’s drivers, are on strike. They are protesting the Council’s proposal to instate a medallion system, similar to that of New York City, on taxi drivers in the district. Medallions are essentially a system of licensing for cab drivers. The city will offer a set number of medallions that drivers will have to pay for on a monthly basis. The Council asserts that this will limit the number of taxis in the DC and is important to protecting the transport industry in the city (or maybe its just a simple revenue generator for the city?). The striking cabbies fear that medallions will cut their profits and make it impossible for individuals and small businesses to operate. Public hearings on the proposal are scheduled for October 1.
Something is missing from the Post article, as well as the proposed bill. At least if this guy has any idea about what he is saying:
“Ali Tahmaseb, who has been driving a District cab for 26 years, fears that even with options the bill will hurt his livelihood. He shares Frankel’s concerns and said that the rate to operate a taxi could go from about $30 a day to more than $100 a day if the bill is passed.”
So $70 a day in fees to be certified?? I don’t think so. Do cabbies see other costs going up indirectly because of a decrease in taxis or because corporations will own more cabs outright? If 1000 people are going to sacrifice their wages and strike, they need to make it more clear exactly why they are striking and how their claims are valid to the public.
I think that the cabbies are going to have a hard time winning the hearts and minds of the public.
Sooooo, 1/8 of the cabs are off of the streets? Man, I was wondering why my drive into work today was less “non-blinker-signaling-cutty-offy-pull-in-front-of-traffic-and-stop-in-a-left-hand-lane” today… Now I know. :)