Here We Go Again: DC Taxi Commission Proposes New Rules to Shut Down Uber
Hey UberFaithful,
The DC Taxi Commission is on the war path again, proposing rules that would essentially put Uber DC out of business. I’ve sent an email to the city council (below) alerting them to the Commission’s continued efforts to outlaw Uber’s affordable, reliable transportation system. Keep the love alive with #UberDCLove, and sign up here if you’d like to help with our online activism efforts.
-Travis
Councilmembers,
Last night, the DCTC proposed rules continuing its crusade to shutdown Uber’s business in the District and limit transportation options for your constituents.
The set of regulations can only be described as anti-competitive – at the expense of 1000’s of high-paying DC driver jobs, stifling innovation, and against the interests of city residents who need quality transportation alternatives.
Here’s just a small sample from a long list of destructive rules:
- prohibition of any sedan business with fewer than 20 cars
- requirement that all sedans install DCTC regulated machines/devices that resemble taximeters and must produce paper receipts
- no pickups or dropoffs outside of DC
… and there are many more.
These rules are not designed to promote safety, nor improve quality of service. They are intended to shut Uber and similar technology companies down. It is unfortunate. Uber is helping 100’s of small businesses grow (the sedan companies that provide the actual transportation service), and creating 1000’s of jobs in the District. And in doing so, we’re creating a color-blind, destination-blind transportation option that is reliable at every address in every ward in the district.
Uber’s response has to be strong. The rules, which the DCTC has published and coordinated to present at Mary Cheh’s hearing on Monday, are a blatant attempt to shut small sedan companies down and therefore Uber’s business. Our position is that any additional DCTC rule-making around sedans must be severely restricted.
We expect that your constituents will make their voices heard against the clear and present threat to Uber’s business in the District and to the businesses of the sedan drivers they’ve come to love. We urge all council members to take action to curb additional targeted and punitive regulatory interference with the District’s sedan industry. Coincidentally, I am in DC this week and am happy to take meetings with any councilmembers that can find the time in their busy schedules.
Thanks for your attention and continued dedication to quality transportation options in the District,
Travis Kalanick
Founder and CEO
Uber Technologies
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