We’ve spent plenty of time debating whether or not the District’s taxicabs should stick to the zone system or join the rest of the modern world and employ meters. Last year, Congress passed legislation giving the District until this October to switch to meters, and more recently, the D.C. Taxicab Commission released a study that found that on average, meters were cheaper. Of course, cab drivers have long opposed the prospect of a switch, and promised to put up a fight before the commission. Now a canceled hearing has cabbies crying foul.

We mentioned it briefly yesterday, but the public hearing on the issue that was to be held today was canceled because organizers feared that not enough parking would be available. No, that’s not a joke. Members of the D.C. Taxicab Commission opted to cancel the hearing, set to be held in a 250-person room in the MLK Jr. Library, and replace it with a citywide telephone survey to judge how the city’s residents feel about the prospect of doing away with the zone system. Of course, cabbies have screamed conspiracy, and understandably so.

Why a public hearing in a central location with access to public transit would be canceled because not enough parking would be available for attendees is beyond us. We’ve seen plenty of hearings at the Wilson Building overwhelmed with residents seeking to testify, and city officials responded as one would expect — they stuck around until everyone had their word. We don’t know if members of the commission really did have public safety in mind, just didn’t want to hear any opposition to the idea or simply couldn’t imagine that all the taxi drivers who planned to attend might just have to rely on Metro, a bus, or their feet to get there. Either way, it’s an odd decision.

The telephone survey is set to take place this month, and for those of you that don’t get a call, the commission has promised to set up a comment hotline and accept comments via email to dctc (at) dc (dot) gov.