Bill No.                            33-15            

Concerning: Taxicabs – Transportation Services Improvement Fund                         

Revised:    07/20/2015       Draft No. 3  

Introduced:      June 23, 2015                

Enacted:         July 21, 2015                 

Executive:       July 31, 2015                 

Effective:        December 29, 2015        

Sunset Date:  None                             

Ch.   41    , Laws of Mont. Co.    2015    

 

County Council

For Montgomery County, Maryland

 

Lead Sponsor: Councilmember Berliner

Co-Sponsors: Council Vice President Floreen and Councilmembers Rice, Riemer, Elrich, Katz, Navarro and Hucker

 

AN ACT to:

(1)        create a Transportation Services Improvement Fund;

(2)        impose a per-trip surcharge on certain transportation network services to finance the Fund;

(3)        provide for disbursements from the Fund to be used to improve the delivery of accessible taxicab services and transportation to eligible senior citizens and persons of limited income; and

 (4)       generally amend the law governing the licensing and regulation of taxicabs.

 

By adding

            Montgomery County Code

Chapter 53, Taxicabs

Article 8.  Transportation Services Improvement Fund

Section 53-801

 

 

Boldface                                             Heading or defined term.

Underlining                                          Added to existing law by original bill.

[Single boldface brackets]                  Deleted from existing law by original bill.

Double underlining                              Added by amendment.

[[Double boldface brackets]]              Deleted from existing law or the bill by amendment.

*   *   *                                                  Existing law unaffected by bill.

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


The County Council for Montgomery County, Maryland approves the following Act:


                        Sec. 1.  Section 53-801 is added to Chapter 53 as follows:

Article 8.  Transportation Services Improvement Fund

53-801.       Transportation Services Improvement Fund

(a)     Definitions.  In this section:

(1)     Fund means the Transportation Services Improvement Fund established in this Section.

(2)     Transportation Network Services means “Transportation Network Services” as defined in § 10-101 of the Public Utilities Article of the Maryland Code.

 (b)    Fund established. 

(1)     There is a Transportation Services Improvement Fund created to improve the delivery of:

(A)    accessible transportation services in the County;

(B)     transportation for eligible senior citizens; and

(C)     transportation for persons of limited income.

(2)     The Fund consists of:

(A)    all revenue from the surcharge imposed on transportation network services under this Section;

(B)     all funds appropriated to it by the County Council; and

(C)     all funds received by the Fund from any other public or private entity.

(c)      Per-ride surcharge.  There is a $0.25 surcharge on Transportation Network Services for each trip originating in the County.  The surcharge must be collected as provided in § 10-406 of the Public Utilities Article of the Maryland Code.

(d)     Uses of the Fund.  Disbursements from the Fund must be used to:

(1)     offset the higher operational costs of accessible taxicab services for owners and operators including, but not limited to:

(A)    vehicle costs associated with purchasing and retrofitting an accessible vehicle;

(B)     [[extra fuel and maintenance costs associated with operating an accessible vehicle]] costs associated with receiving training in providing accessible transportation services; and

(C)     additional time involved in providing accessible taxicab services; or

(2)     provide incentives for improving or expanding transportation options for:

(A)    eligible senior citizens; or

(B)     persons of limited income.  

(e)      Disbursements from the Fund.    The Executive must by regulation establish the procedure for determining when and how to make distributions from the Fund to [[accessible]] taxicab owners and operators, including setting eligibility standards, imposing conditions of reimbursement, imposing a maximum amount of reimbursement, and considering timely distribution of reimbursement to [[accessible]] taxicab owners and operators.

Sec. 2.  This Act takes effect 120 days after it becomes law.  


 

Approved: