Prince George’s County Taxicab Drivers Hopeful that Justice is on the Horizon
July 6, 2010
Sabrina E. Williams
202/728-9557
305/904-3960
After more than three years of struggle, the taxicab industry in Prince George’s County might finally be getting a much needed overhaul. Proposed legislation from the more than 500 members of the Prince George’s County Taxi Workers Alliance (CB-36-2010) was voted out of the Council’s Transportation, Housing and Environment Committee on June 10th and was introduced on June 15th to the City Council. The bill is scheduled for a public hearing on Tuesday July 13th with a final vote immediately following.
The Prince George’s County’s taxicab industry consists of several aspects. Over the past three years the county’s cab drivers have identified numerous ways in which the industry operates in contravention of the taxicab code, free market principles, and quality taxicab service. In an effort to better understand these claims, Advancement Project in partnership with drivers, researched the Prince George’s County taxicab industry identifying the most critical pieces to begin laying the groundwork for comprehensive reform: reintroduce free market competition and make taxicab operating certificates available to individual drivers
“The Prince George’s County taxicab industry could be the ‘poster child’ of corporate power run a muck, said Aurora Vasquez, senior attorney, Advancement Project, an organization that has been working in partnership with drivers in Prince George’s County. “The industry is currently ruled by a handful of entities that own and control not only the majority of these companies but also the county’s dispatch service.”
If passed the legislation will:
- Create economic opportunity for individual cab drivers by making some of the county’s taxicab medallions available to them.
- Increase transparency by requiring cab companies to file copies of their taxicab leasing contracts and fee structure with the county.
- Promote competition and encourage the provision of quality service by ensuring no single company can control the majority of the county’s medallions.
- Facilitate rider protections by requiring that all cabs have available a summary of their insurance information.
- Promote rider and driver safety by requiring that all cab companies remain in good standing with the state of Maryland as a prerequisite to renewing their medallions.
“Drivers are at the bottom of the economic ladder where they have been forced until now to remain silent about the industry’s secrets or face adverse consequences,” concluded Vasquez. “If passed this legislation would end the exploitation of drivers and provide safe cab service for the riding public.”
For a copy of the legislation please contact Sabrina E. Williams @ 202/728-9557 or swilliams@advancementproject.org
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Filed under Immigrant Justice, Maryland
