D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 31, r. 31-801

Current through Register Vol. 71, No. 49, December 6, 2024

Rule 31-801 - PASSENGER RATES AND CHARGES

801.1

No person regulated by this title shall charge a rate, charge, or fare for taxicab service in the District in excess of the amounts established by this section. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, a DTS provider may elect to offer dynamic street hail pricing based on a discount on the total amount of all rates and charges established by this section for rides booked by street hail or by telephone dispatch (if the provider is a taxicab company registered to provide telephone dispatch under Chapter 16), consistent with an applicable administrative issuance. A dynamic street hail discount may be in any amount up to one hundred percent (100%).

801.2

[Repealed]

801.3

[Repealed]

801.4

[Repealed]

801.5

Each taxicab company, independent owner, taxicab operator, payment service provider ("PSP"), and digital dispatch service shall charge only the applicable taxicab fare established by §§ 801.7 and shall use only the equipment specified in §§ 801.6 to process payments.

801.6

The equipment used by taxicab operators to process payments shall be as follows:

(a) The taximeter shall be engaged for each trip by taxicab, regardless of whether the trip is booked by street hail, telephone dispatch, or digital dispatch.

(b) If a taxicab trip is booked through a street hail, a telephone dispatch, or a DDS which does not process digital payments, the operator shall use the vehicle's MTS unit to process an in-vehicle payment for the entire trip and shall not use any other device.

(c) If a taxicab trip is booked through a DDS which processes digital payments, the operator shall process the payment according to the passenger's choice of payment method (digital payment or in-vehicle payment), provided however, that the operator shall only accept a digital payment processed through the digital payment solution ( app) provided by the DDS and shall not use the vehicle's MTS unit to process an in-vehicle payment except where the DDS and the PSP have an integration agreement approved by the Office pursuant to Chapter 4 to ensure compliance with all provisions of Chapters 4 and 6 applicable to both the DDS and the PSP, including collection and reporting of trip data, and collection and payment to the District of the passenger surcharge.

801.7

Taxicab fares shall be as follows:

(a) Each taximeter fare shall consist only of the time and distance charges, and authorized additional charges provided in this subsection, as applicable.

(b) The hourly contract rate for a taxicab trip booked on a time basis by advance contract shall be thirty-five dollars ($35) for the first one (1) hour or fraction thereof, and eight dollars and seventy-five cents ($8.75) for each additional fifteen (15) minutes or fraction thereof, without regard to distance. No additional charges are authorized.

(c) Fare for trips booked by a street hail, a telephone dispatch or a digital dispatch by a DDS that does not process digital payments (in- vehicle payment only) shall be as follows:

(1) The time and distance charges that shall be generated automatically by the taximeter for a taxicab trip booked by street hail, by telephone dispatch, or by digital dispatch through a DDS that does not process digital payments, are established as follows:

(A) Minimum fare (flag drop rate): four dollars ($4.00) for entry and the first one-eighth (1/8) of a mile.

(B) Distance (after the first one eighth (1/8) of a mile):

(i) General distance rate: two dollars and fifty-six cents ($2.56) per mile (or thirty-two cents ($0.32) per one-eighth (1/8) of a mile); or

(ii) Special shared ride distance rate (available for digital taximeter systems only): one dollar and twenty cents ($1.20) per mile (or fifteen cents ($0.15) per one-eighth (1/8) of a mile).

(C) Time (wait time):

(i) Twenty- five dollars ($25) per hour, to be calculated in sixty (60)-second increments;

(ii) Time shall be charged when the vehicle is stopped, and when the vehicle is slowed to a speed of less than ten (10) miles per hour for longer than sixty (60) seconds;

(iii) Time shall be charged for delays and stopovers en route at the direction of the passenger;

(iv) Time shall not be charged during periods lost due to vehicle or operator inefficiency; and

(v) If the vehicle is responding to a dispatch, time shall be charged beginning five (5) minutes after the time pickup was requested by the customer. There shall be no additional charge for early arrival.

(2) The authorized additional charges which shall be generated automatically by the taximeter for a taxicab trip booked by street hail, by telephone dispatch, or by digital dispatch through a DDS that does not process digital payments, are established as follows:

(A) A fee for telephone dispatch, if any, which shall be two dollars ($2);

(B) A taxicab passenger surcharge, which shall be fifty cents ($0.50) (per trip or per segment of a shared ride, and not per passenger);

(C) A charge for delivery service where there is no passenger present shall be determined by an applicable administrative issuance or other document approved by the Department;

(D) The amount of any airport surcharge or toll paid by the taxicab operator;

(E) An additional passenger fee for each segment of a group or shared ride where more than one (1) passenger is present in the vehicle, which shall be one dollar ($1.00) regardless of the number of additional passengers (the total additional passenger fee shall not exceed one dollar ($1.00)), provided however, that no additional passenger fee shall be charged when the special shared ride distance rate applies; and

(F) A snow emergency fare when authorized under §§ 804.

(d) Fare for trips booked by digital dispatch and paid by digital payment shall be as follows:

(1) Time and distance charges. The time and distance charges for a taxicab trip booked by a digital dispatch are established as follows: zero dollars ($0) regardless of the amount displayed on the taximeter.

(2) Authorized additional charges. The additional charges which shall be included in the taximeter fare for a trip booked by a digital dispatch are the following: zero dollars ($0) regardless of the amount displayed on the taximeter.

(3) DDS charges. The only charges, if any, which may be assessed to the passenger for a trip paid by digital payment shall be those charges billed directly to the passenger by the DDS, which shall not be displayed on the taximeter except as permitted or required by an applicable provision of this title, and which shall adhere to the requirements of §§ 1402.6, in the same manner and to the same extent as if the taxicab were a sedan, including the requirement that the District be paid the passenger surcharge in the manner required by this title.

801.8

Charges for group and shared rides shall be assessed as follows, and in the manner set forth in an applicable administrative issuance:

(a) For shared rides:

(1) In vehicles with digital meters: only one flag drop rate shall be charged, without regard to the number of destinations. Shared rides may be arranged through digital meters approved by the Department pursuant to §§ 602, which shall allow passengers to apportion the total fare in a manner that maximizes consumer choice and operator income pursuant to an administrative issuance; and

(2) In vehicles with legacy (non-digital) meters: as each passenger reaches his or her destination, the metered fare shall be paid by the passenger(s) leaving the taxicab, at which time there shall be a new flag drop and the passenger(s) remaining in the group shall pay in the same manner until the last passenger(s) arrives at his or her destination and the final metered taxicab fare is then paid. There shall be a new flag drop for each leg of the trip.

(b) For group rides booked by street hail, telephone dispatch, or digital dispatch, and paid through in- vehicle payment, the metered fare, including the additional passenger fee under §§ 801.7(c)(2)(E), shall be paid by the last passenger(s) leaving the taxicab.

(c) For group rides booked by digital dispatch and paid through digital payment, the fare shall be charged and paid consistent with all applicable requirements of this title applicable to a trip which is not a group ride.

801.9

[Repealed]

801.10

Passengers accompanied by animals.

(a) Service animals.

A service animal (such as a guide dog, signal dog, or other animal trained to assist or perform tasks for an individual with a disability) accompanying a passenger shall be carried without charge.

(b) Animals other than service animals.

(1) When securely enclosed in a carrier designed for that purpose, small dogs or other small animals may accompany a passenger without charge. Other animals not so enclosed may be carried at the discretion of the operator.

(2) An operator may refuse to transport any passenger traveling with a small dog or other small animal if the operator presents to the passenger an exemption certificate from the Office that certifies that such operator suffers from a diagnosed medical condition, such as allergies, which prevents such operator from traveling with such small dogs or other animals;

(3) No operator shall have a personal pet or animal of any kind in a public vehicle-for-hire while holding the vehicle out for hire or transporting passengers; and

(4) An operator may request an exemption certificate from the Office that certifies that such operator suffers from a documented diagnosed medical condition, such as allergies, which prevents such operator him or her from traveling with such small dogs or other small animals securely enclosed in a carrier designed for that purpose. Without such exemption certificate, an operator may not refuse to transport any passenger traveling with a small dog or other small animal that is securely enclosed in such carrier. Each exemption certificate shall be on a form prescribed by the Office and notarized by an appropriately licensed medical professional (for example, a general practitioner or allergist). Each exemption certificate shall be renewed at each renewal of the DCTC operator's license.

801.11

A device for the aid of a disabled person, such as a folding wheelchair, when accompanying a passenger with a disability, shall be carried without charge. There shall be no additional charge for loading or unloading such device.

801.12

Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a person subject to licensing, registration, or regulation by the Department pursuant to this title or the Establishment Act, that participates in a pilot, grant, donation agreement, or other program, with the approval of the Department, or that engages in approved live field testing of an app pursuant to Chapter 16, shall use the rates and charges, if any, established or approved by the Department in connection wit h such pilot, grant, donation agreement, or other program, if any, in lieu of the rates and charges otherwise applicable pursuant to this subsection.

D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 31, r. 31-801

Final Rulemaking published at 37 DCR 3595, 3611 (June 1, 1990); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 53 DCR 854 (February 10, 2006); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 55 DCR 3831 (April 11, 2008); and as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 55 DCR 9738 (September 12, 2008); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 57 DCR 9734 (October 15, 2010); as amended by Notice of Final Rulemaking published at 58 DCR 9046 (October 21, 2011); as amended by Notice of Final Rulemaking published at 59 DCR 3154 (April 20, 2012); as amended by Notice of Final Rulemaking published at 59 DCR 7504 (June 22, 2012); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 60 DCR 7016 (May 17, 2013); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 60 DCR 10997 (July 26, 2013); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 61 DCR 8522 (August 15, 2014); as Amended by Final Rulemaking published at 61 DCR 12501 (December 5, 2014); Amended by Final Rulemaking published at 62 DCR 6682 (5/22/2015); amended by Final Rulemaking published at 64 DCR 7895 (8/11/2017); amended by Final Rulemaking published at 64 DCR 1870 (2/23/2018); amended by Final Rulemaking published at 65 DCR 7820 (7/27/2018); amended by Final Rulemaking published at 71 DCR 9638 (8/2/2024)

Authority: Sections 8(b)(1) (C), (D), (E), (F), (G), (I), (J), 14, and 20 of the District of Columbia Taxicab Commission Establishment Act of 1985 ("Establishment" Act), effective March 25, 1986 (D.C. Law 6-97; D.C. Official Code §§50-307(b)(1) (C), (D), (E), (F), (G), (I), (J) and 50-319 (2009 Repl.), and D.C. Official Code §50-313 (2009 Repl.; 2012 Supp.)); D.C. Official Code § 47-2829(b), (d), (e), (e-1), and (i) (2012 Supp.); Section 12 of the 1919 District of Columbia Taxicab Act, approved July 11, 1919 (41 Stat. 104; D.C. Official Code § 50-371 (2009 Repl.)); and Section 6052 of the District of Columbia Taxicab Commission Fund Amendment Act of 2012 (Commission Fund Amendment Act), effective September 20, 2012 (D.C. Law 19-168; D.C. Official Code §50-320(a) (2012 Supp.)).