DEFINITIONS

499.1 The terms “digital dispatch,” “digital dispatch service or DDS,” “dispatch,” and “telephone dispatch” shall have the meanings ascribed in Chapter 16 of this title.

499.2 When used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed:

“Affiliated” - common ownership.

“Approved MTS” - an MTS that has been approved for use by the Office under this chapter.

“Associated” - a voluntary relationship of employment, contract, joint venture, or agency. For purposes of this chapter, an association not in writing shall be ineffective for compliance purposes.

“Association” – a group of taxicab owners organized for the purpose of engaging in the business of taxicab transportation for common benefits regarding operation, name, logo, or insignia.

“Authorized MTS installation business” - a business authorized by the Office under this title to install one or more approved MTSs.

“Cash payment” - a payment to the operator by the passenger inside the vehicle using cash. A cash payment is a form of in-vehicle payment.

“Cashless payment” - a payment to the operator by the passenger inside the vehicle other than by cash, which shall include a payment by payment card, and may include another form of non-cash payment that a PSP is approved to provide to passengers pursuant to § 403.2(e) (such as near-field communication and voucher). A cashless payment is not a “digital payment,” as such term is defined in this section.

“Clean Hands Act” - the Clean Hands Before Receiving a License or Permit Act of 1996, effective May 11, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-118, D.C. Official Code § 47-2862).

“Commission” or “DCTC” - the District of Columbia Taxicab Commission.

“Company” – a person, partnership, or corporation engaging in the business of owning and operating a fleet or fleets of taxicabs utilizing the same identifying name, logo, or insignia, as approved by the Office.

“Digital payment” - a payment processed outside the vehicle using a payment card, which may include a payment card on file, or using a direct debit

transaction. A digital payment is not a “cashless payment,” as such term is defined in this section.

“District” - the District of Columbia.

“District of Columbia Taxicab Commission (DCTC) License” - the taxicab vehicle license issued pursuant to D.C. Official Code § 47-2829(d).

“Face Card” or “DCTC Identification Card” or “Identification Card” - the taxicab or public vehicle-for-hire operator license issued pursuant to D.C. Official Code § 47-2829(e).

“Fleet” – a group of twenty (20) or more taxicabs utilizing the same identifying name, logo, or insignia and having unified control by ownership or by association.

“Gratuity” - a voluntary payment by the passenger after service is rendered, which, if made, shall be included as part of the total charge under § 801.9, in the amount determined only by the passenger.

“Group Riding” - a group of two (2) or more passengers composed prior to the booking by dispatch or street hail and whose trip has a common point of origin, and different or common destinations.

“Independent taxicab” - a taxicab operated by an individual owner.

“Independently Operated Taxicab” – a taxicab operated by an individual owner that is not part of a fleet, company, or association and that does not operate under the name, logo, or insignia of any fleet, company, or association.

“Individual Riding” - the transportation of a single passenger for an entire trip.

“Integration” - a commercial arrangement between a PSP and a DDS for the real-time sharing of electronic information between such businesses that complies with industry best practices and allows each of them to meet all obligations imposed by this chapter.

“Integration Agreement” - an agreement between a PSP and a DDS to allocate the rights and obligations pertaining to integration under this chapter.

“Integration service fee” - a one dollar ($1) fee paid by the taxicab company or independent owner to the PSP for the use of the MTS when a digital payment is made.

“In-Vehicle Payment” - a payment made to the operator by the passenger inside the vehicle, consisting only of a cash payment or a cashless payment.

“License” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in the D.C. Administrative Procedure Act, D.C. Official Code § 2-502.

“License Act” - D.C. Official Code § 47-2829.

“Limousine” shall have the meaning ascribed to it by § 1299.1.

“Loitering” - waiting around or in front of a hotel, theater, public building, or place of public gathering or in the vicinity of a taxicab or limousine stand that is occupied to full capacity; stopping in such locations, except to take on or discharge a passenger; or unnecessarily slow driving in front of a hotel, theater, public building, or place of public gathering or in the vicinity of a taxicab or limousine stand that is occupied to full capacity.

“Modern taximeter system” or “MTS” - a technology solution that combines taximeter equipment and PSP service and support in the manner required by this chapter and § 603.

“MTS unit” - the MTS equipment installed in a particular vehicle.

“Notice” - notice of transfer under § 507.

“Office” - Office of Taxicabs.

“Office order” - an administrative issuance by the Office to a class of persons or vehicles regulated by a provision of this title or other applicable law that: adopts a form; issues a guideline or protocol applicable to persons other than employees of the Office; provides guidance concerning a provision of this title; or takes any action that the Office deems necessary for purposes of administration, enforcement, or compliance.

“Operator” - a person who operates a public vehicle-for-hire.

“Owner” - a person, corporation, partnership, or association that holds the legal title to a public vehicle-for-hire, the registration of which is required in the District of Columbia. If the title of a public vehicle-for-hire is subject to a lien, a mortgagor may also be considered an owner.

“Passenger surcharge” - the passenger surcharge required to be collected from passengers and remitted to the District for each trip in a taxicab, in an amount established by § 801.

“Payment card” - any major credit or debit card including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

“Payment information on file” - any payment card, direct debit, or pre-paid account that allows a person authorized to process a recurring payment, to process such payment without requiring the person authorizing the payment to present the original payment information.

“Payment service provider” or “PSP” - a business that offers an MTS, which, if approved by the Office, may operate such MTS pursuant to this chapter and § 603.

“Person” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in the D.C. Administrative Procedure Act, D.C. Official Code § 2-502.

“Personal service” - assistance or service requested by a passenger that requires the taxicab operator to leave the vicinity of the taxicab.

“Public vehicle-for-hire” - any private passenger motor vehicle operated in the District as a taxicab, limousine, or sedan, or any other private passenger motor vehicle that is used for the transportation of passengers for hire but is not operated on a schedule or between fixed termini and is operated exclusively in the District, or a vehicle licensed pursuant to D.C. Official Code § 47-2829, including taxicabs, limousines, and sedans.

“Public Vehicle-for-hire Identification Number” or “PVIN” - a unique number assigned by the Office of Taxicabs to each public vehicle-for-hire.

“Sedan” shall have the meaning ascribed to it in § 1299.1.

“Shared Riding” - a group of two (2) or more passengers, arranged by a starter at Union Station, Verizon Center, or Nationals Park, or other locations designated by an administrative order of the Office, that has common or different destinations.

“Street” - a roadway designated on the Permanent System of Highways of the District as a public thoroughfare.

“Surcharge Account” - an account established and maintained by the PSP with the Office for the purpose of processing the Passenger Surcharge.

“Surcharge Bond” - a security bond of fifty-thousand dollars ($50,000) payable to the D.C. Treasurer for the purpose of securing a person’s payment of a passenger surcharge to the District, which remains effective throughout the period when such person has operating authority under this title and for one (1) year thereafter.

“Taxicab” - a public vehicle-for-hire that operates pursuant to Chapter 6 and other applicable provisions of this title, having a seating capacity for eight

(8) or fewer passengers, exclusive of the driver, and operated or offered as a vehicle for passenger transportation for hire.

"Taxicab Commission Information System" or "TCIS" - the information system operated by the Office.

"Taxicab company" - a taxicab company that operates pursuant Chapter 5 and other applicable provisions of this title.

"Taximeter fare" - the fare established by § 801.7.

"Washington Metropolitan Area" - the area encompassed by the District; Montgomery County, Prince Georges County, and Frederick County in Maryland; Arlington County, Fairfax County, Loudon County, and Prince William County and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park in Virginia.

SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 60 DCR 6993 (May 17, 2013); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 60 DCR 10975 (July 26, 2013); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 60 DCR 12387 (August 30, 2013).