February 2019
Acting Director David Do
DFHV Performance 

On February 13th, I delivered the DFHV Fiscal Year 2018 accomplishments and introduced our FY 2019 objectives to the Committee on Business and Economic Development. During the Performance Oversight Hearing, I was pleased to share that we met our strategic objective of fostering economic viability and expanding opportunities within the for-hire industry.

DFHV supported for-hire services by providing approximately $5.8 million in grants. The local for-hire ride industry generated almost $790 million, with taxis producing over 10 million trips that generated over $150 million in fares. The District's estimated 178,000+ private for-hire vehicles were responsible for generating nearly $6.4 million in surcharge payments.

Our plans for FY 2019 include implementing a license plate recognition system to optimize safety and compliance checks, furthering sustainability goals by promoting the use of electric taxicabs through the Green Rides initiative, and providing transportation solutions to underserved neighborhoods through new pilot programs.

Acting DFHV Director David Do testifies at the Performance Oversight Hearing and is joined by the Chair of the For-Hire Vehicle Advisory Council Linwood Jolly, DFHV Chief of Staff Dory Peters, and agency General Counsel Nakeasha Sanders-Small
Vehicle Inspector of the Month

The DFHV Compliance and Enforcement team recognized Vehicle Inspector Officer (VIO) Nattina Perkins as the VIO of the Month for January. Approaching her one-year anniversary with the agency, Officer Perkins performed the highest number of comprehensive compliance and safety inspections of for-hire vehicles. Officer Perkins' pleasant personality doesn't stop her from being tough on operators who are not in compliance with the law.   Learn more about DFHV Enforcement Services .

VIO of the Month - Nattina Perkins
Driver Services

DFHV would like to remind ALL District taxicab drivers to complete the  mandatory online training courses prior to renewing their licenses. Drivers are no longer required to bring a copy of the Clean Hands document. While it is still required to have "good standing" with the District government, DFHV is now able to verify your status online. Drivers do need to inform the agency when a change is made regarding company association. Additionally, drivers should return any items left by passengers in vehicles to DFHV to ensure their return to the rightful owner. 

How's My Driving App

The How's My Driving app was awarded $9,000 as the runner-up in the 
GigabitDCx competition. DC's first public innovation competition had 21 submissions and awarded first place to Road Vision, an app developed by a team from George Washington University. This competition  encouraged  innovators to propose solutions for overcoming the mobility and environmental issues facing the District.  

The obje ctive of the How's My Driving app is to provide a simple way to look up any unpaid traffic violations with the DC Department of Motor Vehicles. The app's developers are adding a feature that allows users to submit a photo of a violation to automatically file a complaint. If the photo displays a for-hire vehicle, the complaint will be routed directly to DFHV.

DC Econ Unplugged
In the Community with Good News 

A passenger recently shared an uplifting story acknowledging the excellent customer service received from DFHV staff while seeking a lost item. The customer remarked how professionally DFHV staff handled their Lost and Found report. Within an hour of filing the report, the customer was visited at their home by their taxicab driver, who said he had been working his way through his last five passengers and was on number four. Upon contacting DFHV to cancel the report, another staff member was described as being "equally courteous and helpful".  

The passenger concluded that their confidence in the goodness of people had been restored, and the courtesy and professionalism encountered throughout the ordeal were greatly appreciated.

You can reach DFHV by calling (202) 645-7300 or send an email to [email protected]  

Program Manager Michael Tietjen delivers a presentation at UMD Tech Challenge
 
Account Manager Charles Lindsay with a constituent at the Mayor's Open House
Contact Information
All owners and operators licensed by or registered with the Department of For-Hire Vehicles are required to maintain their current contact information on file which must include a current mailing address, phone number and email address. Client Services will not conduct a transaction without verification.
   
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Department of For-Hire Vehicles 
2235 Shannon Place, SE, Suite 3001
Washington, DC 20020
202.645.7300