$2 Taxi Surcharge Approved For 6 Months In Fairfax County

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — A $2 fuel surcharge on taxicab trips starts Wednesday in Fairfax County after Board of Supervisors approval Tuesday.

The temporary approval allows a surcharge up to $2 per taxicab trip from June 29 through Dec. 29. The surcharge had been requested by the taxicab industry in response to drivers absorbing the higher cost of gas. Taxicabs assist special-needs transportation for Fairfax County Public Schools, as well as subsidized transportation for eligible older adults, people with disabilities and those with limited income, according to board documents.

The new surcharge is double the $1 surcharge previously approved on April 12 through June 11. There was no surcharge after June 11 through June 28 after the $1 surcharge expired.

Before approval, Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck asked why a $2 surcharge was being considered when other surrounding localities have a $1 surcharge.

Rebecca Makely, acting director of Fairfax County's Department of Cable and Consumer Services, noted other localities had implemented their $1 surcharge before Fairfax County or have a longer time for the temporary surcharge. Makely said Prince William County's surcharge expired in mid-July, and officials are considering increasing the surcharge.

The higher surcharge also helps drivers with gas costs as prices increased since the spring. According to board documents, the current $1 surcharge only covers a gas price increase up to $4.30 per gallon. When the $1 surcharge was approved in April, gas prices averaged just above $4.

According to AAA, the latest gas price average for Fairfax County is $5.02.

"The amount of $2 is based on a formula that looks at the delta between the change in the last time taxicab rates were increased and what the fuel price was at that point versus the fuel price today," Makely told the board. "And when you do that calculation at the current cost of $5.02 per gallon, a surcharge today actually would support $2.14."

The board could choose to rescind the surcharge sooner than Dec. 29 if gas prices trend down. County staff will continue to monitor gas prices and could seek continued relief for taxicab drivers if prices remain high.

Other localities with taxicab surcharges include $1 in Prince William County through July 13, Washington, DC through July 13, City of Alexandria through March 2023 and Arlington County through Nov. 30.