Department:

City of Seattle

Department of Finance and Administrative Services Rule No:

FOR-HIRE TRANSPORTATION-17-2024 Supersedes:

New

Publication:

7/26/2024 Effective:

9/20/2024

Subject:

Wheelchair Accessible Services Surcharge for Taxicab and For-Hire Vehicle Medallion Owners Code and Section Reference(s):

SMC 6.311.060

SMC 6.311.470 (rulemaking authority)

Approved:

Division Director

Business Unit Officer

Kiersten Grove, Acting Department Director

Date

Date

Date

Department:

King County Department of Executive Services

Sponsoring Agency:

Records and Licensing Services Division (RALS) Document Code No.:

FHT-11-2024-PR Repeals:

Publication:

7/26/2024 Effective:

9/20/2024

Title:

Wheelchair Accessible Services Surcharge for Taxicab and For-Hire Vehicle Medallion Owners Authorities:

KCC 6.65.060

KCC 6.65.470 (rulemaking authority)

Approved:

Department Director

Date

City of Seattle and King County For-Hire Transportation Rules

________________________________________

City of Seattle Director's Rule FOR-HIRE TRANSPORTATION-17-2024 and King County Public Rule FIN-10-3-4-PR Wheelchair Accessibility Services Surcharge for Taxicab and For-Hire Vehicle Medallion Owners

Pursuant to an interlocal agreement, the City of Seattle and King County work cooperatively to regulate the Wheelchair Accessible Services Fund.

I. Purpose. Detail the collection, reporting, and payment procedures, as well as the responsibilities of medallion owners for the wheelchair accessible services surcharge in the City of Seattle and King County.

II. Definitions:

A. "Director" means the director of King County's Department of Executive Services and/or the City of Seattle's Director of Finance and Administrative Services, or their designees.

B. "Wheelchair Accessible Services Fund". All Wheelchair Accessible Services (WAS) surcharges will be deposited into the Wheelchair Accessible Services Fund. This fund is a self-supporting fund that shall be used to offset the higher operational costs of wheelchair accessible vehicles.

C. "Regional dispatch agency" means a person licensed under SMC Chapter 6.311 or KCC Chapter 6.65 who represents or owns for-hire vehicles, until March 31, 2026, or taxicabs licensed by the City or County that use the same trade name and dispatch services.

D. "Transitional Regional Dispatch Agency" means a taxicab association or for-hire vehicle company, or other persons that meet the requirements of a transitional regional dispatch agency and that do not have a regional dispatch agency license.

E. "Medallion Reciprocity Endorsement means a designation on a medallion issued by either King County or the City of Seattle, or alternatively in the Director's record of the medallion owner, permitting a vehicle to operate in both jurisdictions.

F. "Trip". A trip is defined as transporting a passenger from one place to another for compensation.

III. Requirements

1. Responsibility of Medallion Owners. Medallion owners must collect WAS surcharges from all vehicles operating with their medallion(s), file the authorized forms and complete trip records, which may come from a taximeter or smart taximeter system, with the Director, and remit the surcharges to the Director. Affiliated transitional regional dispatch agencies and regional dispatch agencies can submit trip records on behalf of medallion owners. Inability to collect the surcharge does not release the owner's obligation to pay the WAS surcharge.

2. Amount of WAS Surcharge. Until September 30, 2027, to accommodate the transition to smart taximeters, medallion owners shall pay the estimated WAS surcharge. Starting October 1, 2027, each medallion owner shall pay a $0.10 per trip surcharge.

3. WAS Surcharge Assessment.

a. Estimated WAS Surcharge. Until September 30, 2027, an invoice for the estimated surcharge will be presented to the medallion owner during the medallion renewal process or during the medallion transfer process. The estimated surcharge will be based on historical and current industry data obtained by the Director. Estimates will be reviewed at least every two years and if changes to estimated surcharges need to be made, a revised rule shall be issued.

i. Estimated surcharge amount. Effective January 2024, each medallion has a Medallion Reciprocity Endorsement, permitting the medallion to operate in the City and County. Therefore, the annual estimated surcharge will be uniformly applied to all medallion owners at the same rate. The estimated annual WAS surcharge due for the period beginning October 1, 2024 will be $154. A history of the surcharge amounts is displayed in Appendix A.

ii. Proration. When a medallion is transferred, the estimated WAS surcharge shall be prorated. Annual estimated WAS surcharges are charged from April 1 through March 31, per diem fees are charged by counting the days from April 1 until the date of a transaction. All outstanding WAS surcharges must be paid prior to transfer.

b. Per-Trip Reporting Method. Starting October 1, 2027, the medallion owner will collect and report trip records through a trip report for all vehicles operating with their medallion(s) and remit the $0.10 per trip surcharge to the Director.

i. Payment with Trip Report Required. The Director may refuse to accept any trip report that is not accompanied by a remittance of the WAS surcharge payment shown to be due thereon, or any payment which is not accompanied by a trip report form, and if not accepted, the medallion owner shall be deemed to have failed to file a report and shall be subject to penalties specified in this Rule.

ii. If complete trip records are not available, the estimated surcharge will be applied.

4. Trip Reporting Requirement.

a. Authorized Forms. Effective the date of this Rule, complete trip records shall be made upon forms authorized by the Director. Forms provided by the Director will be available to all medallion owners and licensed transitional regional dispatch agencies and regional dispatch agencies prior to the due date of the surcharge. The Director may reject a report made on an unauthorized form.

b. Reporting Due Dates.

i. If on a quarterly schedule: the WAS surcharge trip report listing all trip records, and payments if applicable, are due on the last day of the next month after the period covered by the form. For example, trip reports covering the first quarter of the year are due on April 30.

ii. If on medallion renewal: WAS surcharge complete trip records and payments are due on the day of renewal of the medallion.

iii. If on medallion transfer: WAS surcharge complete trip records and payments are due on the day of transfer of the medallion.

iv. If the due date for filing a trip report and payment falls upon a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the filing is timely if the report is either (i) received by the City (in the City's possession), or (ii) postmarked by the United States Postal Service, on the next business day.

5. Audits and Penalties. If any medallion owner fails to timely submit payment, the Director will assess the WAS surcharge based on the estimated surcharge to the medallion owner, and may issue a civil citation.

The Director may periodically audit trip records, dispatch records, application records, or other records as required of medallion owners to ensure accurate and complete reporting of trips.

6. Appeals. A medallion owner may appeal any civil citation, or license, endorsement, or medallion denial within twenty-four days after service of the citation or denial, per SMC 6.311.450 and KCC 6.65.450.

IV. Implementation. Unless specified otherwise in this Rule, these requirements take effect immediately after the Director files this Rule with the Seattle City Clerk and with the King County Archives, Records Management, and Mail Services Section (ARMMS).

The Director will periodically review available data to adjust the estimated WAS surcharge. The review will consider the necessity of any changes to this Rule based on data analysis.

V. Rule Enforcement. The Director will follow the process outlined herein to verify compliance with the WAS surcharge requirements. The Director shall refuse to issue a license, endorsement, or medallion at the time of renewal if there is non-compliance.

Appendix A. History of the WAS Surcharge Amounts

All outstanding WAS surcharges for the period beginning April 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024, will be computed based on the table below.

Estimated Annual Surcharge: April 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024 Estimated WAS Surcharge

Taxicab Medallion City only $29 per year

County only $17 per year

Dual City and County $46 per year

For-Hire Medallion County only $17 per year

Dual City and County $46 per year

All outstanding WAS surcharges for the period beginning April 1, 2020, through March 31, 2023, will be computed based on the table below.

Estimated Annual Surcharge: April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2023 Estimated WAS Surcharge

Taxicab Medallion City only $29 per year

County only $17 per year

Dual City and County $29 per year

For-Hire Medallion County only $17 per year

Dual City and County $17 per year

All outstanding WAS surcharges for the period beginning April 1, 2019, through March 31, 2020, will be computed based on the table below.

Estimated Annual Surcharge: April 1, 2019 March 31, 2020 Estimated WAS Surcharge

Taxicab Medallion City only $145 per year

County only $85 per year

Dual City and County $145 per year

For-Hire Medallion County only $85 per year

Dual City and County $85 per year

All outstanding WAS surcharges for the period beginning April 1, 2017, through March 31, 2019, will be computed based on the table below.

Estimated Annual Surcharge: April 1, 2017 March 31, 2019 Estimated WAS Surcharge

Taxicab Medallion City only $280 per year

County only $188 per year

Dual City and County $280 per year

For-Hire Medallion County only $188 per year

Dual City and County $188 per year

All outstanding WAS surcharges predating April 1, 2017, will be computed based on the table below.

Estimated Annual Surcharge Fees: Predating April 1, 2017 Estimated WAS Surcharge

Taxicab Medallion City only $440 per year

County only $288 per year

Dual City and County $440 per year

For-Hire Medallion County only $288 per year

Dual City and County $288 per year