In a move that’s sure to cause some sort of friction with the D.C. Taxicab Commission in the near future, Uber introduced uberXL to the D.C. region today.
Like uberX, uberXL is another low-cost service, except that riders can use it to request larger vehicles—like a Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, Acura MDX, and others—which can seat up to six passengers. UberXL is keeping things almost as cheap as uberX—base fares are just a dollar more.
When Uber launched uberX last summer, it caused quite the stir between the San Francisco-based company and the D.C. Taxicab Commission. Long story short: the DCTC said that uberX violated Commission regulations and thus was illegal. Uber disagreed. Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) stepped in. It got ugly.
Ultimately, however, uberX prevailed and continues to run in D.C. DCist reached out to both Uber and the DCTC to see if uberXL is indeed compliant with current regulations. We’ll update when we hear back.