D.C. Council member Mary Cheh is working on a bill that would allow the popular taxi company Uber to move forward with a cheaper version of its service.
The bill would reverse a recent regulation by the D.C. Taxi Commission, which blocks Uber from launching its lower-cost branch – which would bring its prices below the cost of most other D.C. cabs.
The app-ordered service began using smaller, cheaper cars rather than its signature towncars this summer.
Cheh, also a GW law professor and a longtime champion of Uber, said she plans to introduce the bill shortly after the Council returns from recess on Sept. 17.
The new service, which launched in August, offers smaller, more energy-efficient vehicles at prices lower than a D.C. taxi. Uber’s original fleet included town cars and SUVs.
Cheh, chair of the Council’s transportation committee, wrote letters to the taxi commission condemning the restrictions, which were an attempt to eliminate competition between standard cabs and services like Uber.
Uber has faced many regulatory battles since launching in the District two years ago. The DCTC announced plans to standardize the look of cabs in April.