Prince George’s County Council May Halt Additional Taxi Licenses

A resolution that would limit the number of taxicab permits to drivers in Prince George’s County is headed for a vote by the county council.

A public hearing on the resolution is scheduled June 21.

The proposed resolution 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. 

Councilman Will Campos  (D-Dist. 2) of Hyattsville introduced legislation that would limit  cab permits to 1,039 and scrap the plans for the 75 additional permits.

Drivers from the Prince George’s County Taxi Workers Alliance are 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.

Cab companies and council members said they are concerned that issuing so many licenses would flood the market and exceed demand for taxi services.

Efforts to strip the resolution of sections that would eliminate permit caps were voted down in a council committee meeting. The vote allowed the resolution to move forward and be introduced to the county council.

“Today we cam here to oppose [the resolution],” said Getachew Guracha member of the Prince George’s County Taxi Workers Alliance   “The way we see it, it is a one sided bill.”

Prince George’s Council Poised To Pass $2.7 Billion Budget

The County Council is expected to vote Thursday on a planned $2.7 billion budget that skims several department budgets except the council's own.

According to The Washington Post, council members have steered clear of making cuts to their budgets, which pay for office staff and fund $400,000 annually to contractors. In total, the council operates an annual budget of $12.9 million.

Expenditures from contracts, according to the Post, include:

• $160,000 agreement with crisis management expert Judy Smith.
• $64,000 for Joseph L. Wright, a physician at Children’s National Medical Center, who was hired this year to advise the council on health issues.