Perhaps it was WTOP’s reporting that did it — they seem to think so. Or maybe the D.C. Taxicab Commission spent some time reading your comments and noticed that they haven’t got a lot of fans these days. Either way, the $1 fuel surcharge will disappear starting at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday.

Don’t get too excited about cheaper cab fares, though. As we wrote about yesterday, it’s looking like metered cab rates will be raised soon, as recommended by a recent report from a 13-member taxicab task force, effectively making up the gas surcharge difference. The Post has a little more on that subject today, including an (albeit vague) answer to the question that’s been in the back of our minds all this time: where is Mayor Fenty on all this? The man who managed to shove meters down the taxi drivers’ throats has been noticeably silent on the issue of the fuel surcharge and the recommendation to raise the hourly meter rate. Here’s what his spokesperson had to say:

“It is important to balance the economic concerns of the taxi drivers and their passengers. We encourage the Taxicab Commission to consider all of the recommendations from the task force and make a decision that will address the needs of both groups.”

Sounds like Mayor Fenty doesn’t plan to take a leadership role on this issue, which is really a shame. If our comments are any indication of voter sentiment, the mayor could stand to reap a lot of re-election support if he could figure out a way to force the Taxicab Commission to be more accountable and transparent.

Photo by Samer Farha