Politics & Government

Drivers Clash With Taxi Company Owners Over Prince George's County Plan

Tensions ran high over proposed legislation that would limit taxi cab driver permits.

Taxi drivers and company owners clashed Tuesday at a Prince George's County Council hearing to help determine the fate of proposed legislation to revamp the taxi cab industry in the county.

The proposed resolution, CB-3-2011, would effectively repeal a 2010 law that allowed the county to add 400 permits for cabs and sell 75 more permits each year until 2016 for $200 each. 

During the meeting, representatives from taxi cab companies said the legislation was needed to improve customer service, industry standards and stop the market in Prince George's County from being flooded by drivers, particularly around Metro stations.

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Drivers contended that the resolution would make them "slaves" to taxi cab companies, reduce their wages and create institutionalized poverty.

The Prince George’s County Taxi Workers Alliance is protesting the legislation, contending the new limits would allow only a handful of taxi companies to operate in the county, shutting out small and independent drivers. According to the alliance, drivers make, on average, $32,000 a year.

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Councilman Will Campos  (D-Dist. 2) of Hyattsville introduced legislation that would limit  cab permits to 1,039 and scrap plans for the 75 additional permits. With fewer permits available, independent drivers would have to work for cab companies.

Etenesh Dembel, a three-year driver who lives in District Heights, said she's afraid the new resolution would force her to work for a company and limit the amount of time she could spend with her 4-year-old son.

"Vote against CB-3-11," she said. The current legislation "gives a person like me a chance to be an independent driver."

Ismail Jalloh, a small taxi cab company owner, pressed the the council to pass the bill saying that it allows small companies a chance to compete and owners to live the American dream.

The current law "is unfair because it discriminates against small driver companies," he said. "I pay my taxes. I support this bill."

Former County Executive Wayne Curry appeared before the council as a representative for Silver Cab Paramount, a county-based company that is pressing for the resolution.

Curry said the law provides standards that are needed within the county to address service needs and revises laws that hurt large companies.  

"If there is no [standard], then obviously it's impossible for the government to keep up with service needs," he said. "A reasonable level of certificates [permits] on the street creates a performance standard.... I don't think [the companies] should be punished for being successful." 

Still, drivers argued that there are high service needs in the southern areas of the county that limiting permits would not address.

"The reality is that the cab companies did not speak to the drivers or the public," said Darwit Solomon, a county taxi driver. "The customers have to wait two to three hours. There is a market for cabs."

The county council has not set a date to vote on the resolution. It has until Nov. 15 to do so.


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