Fairfax County Taxicab Regulation: A Review of Chapter 84.1 : May 17, 2016

1. Fairfax County Taxicab Regulation:
A Review of Chapter 84.1
Transportation Advisory Commission
May 17, 2016
Susan Hafeli
Department of Cable and Consumer Services

2. Taxicab Industry in Fairfax County
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 Industry provides both on-demand and
contract services
 Contract share varies, but is an increasingly
important part of business
 Current fleet information:
 Five authorized operators (companies)
 654 taxicab certificates
 45 wheelchair-accessible certificates
 Code requirement of 4% WAC taxis (= 26 cabs)

3. Competition from TNCs
 Virginia authorized TNC activity in 2015
 No local oversight of TNCs
 Data on TNC trips and revenues not available to local
taxicab regulators
 TNC activity is upending the regulated taxicab
industry
 Number of taxicab trips is dropping as customers
embrace non-traditional providers
 Drivers gravitating to TNCs’ per-trip commission
model
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4. Comparison: Taxi vs. Uber Options
Notes about Fairfax County regulated fares:
 Base fare, or drop charge, includes first 1/6th
of a mile.
 When traffic is traveling less than 10 miles per hour, driver may charge either the mileage
fee or a waiting charge of $0.36 per 61 seconds.
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Fairfax
County
UberX Uber XL
Non-Surge Pricing
Booking Fee -- $1.35 $1.35
Base Fare $3.50 $1.15 $2.00
Per Mile $2.16 $1.02 $1.80
Per Minute -- $0.17 $0.30
Minimum -- $5.35 $7.35
7-Mile Fare $18.26 $9.64 + time $15.95 + time

5. Events to Date
 Fall 2015: Driver petition
 Extend vehicle age from 6 to 8 years
 Over 120 signatories (about 80 owner-operators)
 February 2016: Operator request
 Extend vehicle limits to from 6 years/380,000 miles to
10 years/500,000 miles
 March 2016:
 DCCS posts webpage soliciting public input
 DCCS initiates outreach to drivers and operators
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6. Upcoming 2016 Timeline
 Continuing outreach
 Transportation Advisory Commission
 LTCCC Mobility and Transportation Committee
 Consumer Protection Commission (planned)
 Request to advertise a public hearing (7/19/2016)
 Public hearing (8/23/2016)
 Board of Supervisors (planned)
 Request to advertise a public hearing (9/20/2016)
 Public hearing (11/1/2016)
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7. Driver/Operator/Staff Proposals
 Increase vehicle age limits
 Eliminate vehicle mileage restrictions
 Eliminate requirements that seat and floor coverings
be non-absorbent
 Reduce frequency of taxicab inspections
 Lessen driver testing
 Replace driver duty to keep a paper manifest with
operator duty to provide meter data
 Provide for future flexibility to use GPS taximeters, if
permitted under Virginia Code
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8. Other Proposals
 Clean-up, such as:
 Standardize Department name and acronym
 Tighten wording/phrasing
 Delete outdated or obsolete provisions, such as:
 Maintain a Fairfax County office on 24/7 basis
 Duty to pick up within 3-mile radius of taxi stand or
facility
 Fuel efficiency provisions applicable to 2008-2014
period
 Provide for updates, such as:
 Electronic notice to operators
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9. Possible Structural Revisions
 Lower entry barriers
 Eliminate Board duty to set number of authorized
certificates on biennial basis
 Accept applications for certificates on annual, not
biennial, basis
 Require operator reports on annual, not biennial, basis
 Update application approval requirements
 Allow operators to hold vacant certificates
 Extend permissible vacancy period from 6 months to 12
 Grant Director authority to further extend, in lieu of
automatic nullification
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10. Other Operator Issues
 Reduce wheelchair-accessibility requirements
 Currently 4% of operator fleet, if fleet > 25 cabs
 Allow for downward pricing flexibility:
 For on-demand service, to compete with TNCs
 For contract service
 Establish a snow emergency rate
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11. Questions?
Susan Hafeli
Senior Utilities Analyst
703-324-5903
susan.hafeli@fairfaxcounty.gov