Photo by andertho.
While most D.C. taxi cab drivers have been busy rushing to get credit card readers installed into their cabs—or at least rallying for an extension to get those readers installed—a small group of local cab drivers have banded together to fight the D.C. Taxicab Commission on different issues.
According to a lawsuit filed yesterday, five cab drivers are suing the DCTC over certain regulations that they find violates their constitutional rights. Specifically, that “the new data tracking system installed in all taxis infringes on the drivers’ and passengers’ privacy by collecting data on all trips,” and that the required installation of overhead dome lights “violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and commits age discrimination,” WAMU reports.
The lawsuit says that the new dome lights don’t contain the signature “Call 911” flashing light, which can be activated by a cab driver and signal authorities if there’s an emergency. The lawsuit alleges that the new dome light system “creates a hazardous condition for all of the taxicab drivers and passengers, particularly taxicab drivers with a disability.” The second count of the lawsuit, which addresses the MTS smart chips installed in all taxis, which contain GPS tracking systems. The lawsuit alleges that “GPS tracking is an invasion of privacy for the driver and the passenger and is a violation to the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.”
DCist reached out to the Attorney General’s Office and the lawyer for the plaintiffs—Billy Ponds—but a request for comment has not yet been returned. We’ll update when we hear back.
And here’s the full lawsuit, if you’d like to have a look:
