Uber’s Success Ruffles Taxicab Feathers; Recently Launched Private Car Service Challenged As ‘Illegal’ By Commission Chair

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Since the mobile technology startup masked as a private car service known as Uber first launched in the District just a few short weeks ago, the company has taken the city by storm, with its initial partnering fleet of just a couple dozen cars growing to over a hundred by January.

And Uber’s success hasn’t sat at all well with D.C.’s notoriously fickle taxicab drivers, who even just recently managed to drive through a fare hike which raised the per mile taxi rate to $2.16 from $1.50 and the wait time rate for taxis to $25/hour from $15/hour.

Such discontent most recently took the form of a verbal jab at Uber this morning by Ron Linton, Chairman of the District of Columbia Taxicab Commission.

Linton is quoted by TBD’s John Hendel as saying, “[Uber DC] is operating illegally, and we plan to take steps against them.”

The Washington Post’s Mike DeBonis does a terrific job of explaining the true product and legal nuances of the Uber service (essentially, the company is just a software provider that connects riders with a variety of privately owned limousine companies and therefore doesn’t need to register with the Commission directly).

And Washington’s cab drivers apparently don’t feel very good about having their fares poached by a technical or legal loophole of sorts (even if consumers feel just fine about this).

Indeed, San Francisco (Uber’s hometown) cabbies reacted similarly 15 months ago when the SF Metro Transit Authority served Uber with a cease and desist letter on their behalf citing many of the licensing issues discussed by DeBonis.

Regardless of what side of the argument you fall on ultimately, what is abundantly clear is that Uber has tapped into a genuine need among Washingtonians, for a reliable, luxurious, and reasonably-priced transportation option that simply didn’t exist until the company first entered the D.C. market in December.

Photo: Uber
As for whether or not Uber will continue to be allowed to serve the Washington metro region, the company’s continued operation in San Francisco provides a pretty good indicator that D.C.'s future will be uber bright...

To signal your support for Uber, the company invites riders and drivers alike to communicate their experiences via Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and videos. Uber’s Twitter handle is @Uber_DC and the desired hashtag is #UberDCLove.