Office of Taxicabs established.

There is established an Office of Taxicabs. The Office shall provide administrative support to the Commission. The Office shall be responsible for the execution and administration of this subchapter, and all rules, standards, rates, charges, and orders issued by the Commission. Repealed. The Office shall: Repealed; Administer all license examinations applicable to the taxicab industry; Maintain a system of electronic public records relating to licensed owners and operators of public vehicles-for-hire and public vehicle-for-hire companies, associations, and fleets, including: Developing, maintaining, and keeping current a body of information for public and government use relating to public vehicle-for-hire industry operations within the District, regionally, and nationwide; and Providing statistics, analyses, studies, and projections relating to matters such as revenue, operational costs, passenger carriage, profits, practices, and technologies characterizing the public vehicle-for-hire industry; Repealed; Receive complaints lodged against the owners and operators of public and private vehicles-for-hire, including taxicabs, taxicab companies, associations, fleets, and dispatch services, for the violation of any rule, regulation, order, rate, or law applicable specifically to the vehicle for-hire industry; Repealed; Administer and enforce all rules, rates, and orders issued under the authority of the Commission applicable to taxicab companies, associations, fleets, taxicab facilities, taxi dispatch services, and the owners and operators of taxicabs; Develop, maintain, and keep current under the direction of the Commission a body of information for public and Commission use relating to taxi industry operations within the District, regionally, and nationwide, which information shall include, but not be limited to, statistics, analyses, studies, and projections relating to matters such as revenue, operational costs, passenger carriage, profits, practices, and technologies characterizing the taxi industry; Perform any other administrative functions necessary to carry out the purposes of this subchapter which are assigned to the Office by the Commission; Inspect public vehicles-for-hire for compliance with regulations established by the Commission and the Department of Motor Vehicles for safety requirements; Provide street enforcement of the rules and regulations of the Commission through the use of vehicle inspection officers who are civil enforcement officers; Collect a fee to recover the actual costs of producing and distributing official Commission vehicle decals, stickers, and information placards; and Establish within the Office a transportation liaison who shall serve as liaison between the Office and the District Department of Transportation on policies related to transportation. The Commission shall employ no fewer than 20 vehicle inspection officers to enforce the laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to public and private vehicles-for-hire. A primary function of vehicle inspection officers shall be to ensure the proper provision of service and to support safety through street enforcement efforts, including traffic stops of public and private vehicles-for-hire, pursuant to protocol prescribed by the Commission Nothing in this section shall abrogate the authority of officers of the Metropolitan Police Force to enforce and issue citations relating to taxicab requirements. A proposed suspension or revocation by the Office of a license issued under the authority of this subchapter shall not take effect until a final decision is rendered by the Commission upon a timely appeal taken by a licensee or, if no appeal is taken, upon the lapse of the period specified, by rule, for appeal. The Office may immediately suspend or revoke a license issued under the authority of this subchapter where the Office has determined that the operator of a vehicle poses an imminent danger to the public. Within 3 business days of the issuance by the Office of an immediate suspension or revocation, an administrative hearing shall be held before the Commission, or the matter may be referred to the Office of Administrative Hearings, pursuant to Chapter 18A of Title 2 [§ 2-1831.01 et seq.]. Applicability of D.C. Law 20-197: Section 7 of D.C. Law 20-197 provided, in part, that §§ 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the act shall apply as of March 10, 2015. Section 7007 of D.C. Law 20-61 repealed D.C. Law 19-184, § 7. Section 7 of D.C. Law 19-184 provided that the act shall apply upon the inclusion of its fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan, as certified by the Chief Financial Officer to the Budget Director of the Council in a certification published by the Council in the District of Columbia Register. Section 1001 of D.C. Law 11-198 provided that titles I, II, III, V, and VI and sections 405 and 406 of the act shall apply after September 30, 1996. Hacker’s License Appeal Board abolished: Section 23(a) of D.C. Law 6-97 provided that the Hacker’s License Appeal Board established by Commissioners’ Order 68-59, effective August 15, 1968, is abolished. Section 23(b) of D.C. Law 6-97 provided that the Commission shall be the successor to the Board and any complaint, proceeding, or matter pending before the Board on the effective date of this section shall be a complaint, proceeding, or matter of the Commission. Section 24(b) of D.C. Law 6-97 provided that §§ 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, and 23 shall take effect 1 year after March 25, 1986.