Taxi Drivers Sue Mayor Gray

A lawsuit has been filed by city taxi drivers against Mayor Vincent Gray and the D.C. Taxi Commission claiming that meter rates are being arbitrarily set and costing drivers.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in D.C. Superior Court by the D.C. Professional Taxicab Drivers Association and the Dominion Cab Drivers.

The dispute goes back to 2008, when Washington switched from a zone system to meters to calculate fares. The lawsuit says that the mayor has failed to appoint "proper representatives'' of the taxicab industry to the taxi commission. It also claims that some drivers have had to work longer hours and have still seen their incomes fall by as much as 30 percent.

A statement from Gray says the lawsuit is "disappointing and misguided.''