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The District of Columbia Professional Taxicab Drivers Association (DCPTDA) was formed from a group of taxicab drivers who attended the monthly meetings of the District of Columbia Taxicab Commission (DCTC). After a hearing by the city council in November of 1993, the idea to formulate a driver’s association was spearheaded by Louis Richardson (retired from the Metropolitan Police Department) and John Bugg (long time advocate for taxicab drivers’ rights). After several weeks of meetings of planning the organizational development via telephone, the group gathered at the home of Richardson to elect its first officers and/or directors. They were Nathan Price (chairman), Louis Richardson (vice-chairman), Granderson Archer(secretary), John May (treasurer), and Charles Harrison (sergeant of arms). The first articles of incorporation were written by the deceased Richard Brooks. The bi-laws were written by a committee of John Proctor (deceased), Calvin Ferrell, and William Lucas. It would be an injustice not to mention the initial contribution of Atta Faraphour (deceased) and a fellow cabdriver we only know as Anthony or Little Cotton.
The DCPTDA realized that the ethnic makeup of he taxicab industry was constantly changing to a vastly foreign born and African American, so therefore set the mission to address the issues between the government, the riding public, and taxicab industry. Our standards for the industry had to be raised higher than any in the United States in appearance and service. The first order was to protect the industry from unfair and impractical changes in-which the District Government was constantly trying to impose and to insure that discrimination of riders, whether from color of skin to destination of a taxicab trip, was not tolerated. The second order was to stop all illegal transportation companies from entering into the District of Columbia usurping the revenue that should belong to the taxicab drivers. The third order was to address the rules, regulation, laws which confuse and contradict the soundness of any industry imposed by the various branches of the government. Finally take any and all of these issues to the people of the District of Columbia.
2417 Evarts Street, NE, Second Floor,
Washington, DC 20018
Tel. (202) 832-3002 Fax (202) 832-1774