UberTAXI Launches In D.C. Just In Time For Inauguration

WASHINGTON -- Getting around the nation's capital has become slightly more convenient -- and just in time for Inauguration.

Users of the popular Uber towncar service now have a new fleet of cars to access: traditional taxis.

Uber, which has towncar operations in a handful of cities in the United States and in other countries, announced its new D.C. taxi service via email to its users on Monday.

According to its announcement:

"Starting today, you’ll be able to use UberTAXI to request a DC cab right alongside our existing sedan and SUV service."

Besides adding the convenience of not having to flag down a car, any discussion of cash or credit will be avoided.

The announcement continues:

Once you get in the car, your driver will start the regular taximeter. At the end of the trip, your driver will input the fare into their Uber iPhone, including all tolls and surcharges that would normally apply for a DC taxi ride. This also includes the $2.00 dispatch fee, standard for any dispatched DC taxi.

This more economical service will allow users to choose between a predetermined price in a black sedan or SUV or a meter-based fare in a more traditional cab. Since most D.C. cabs "don't fit Uber standards," the service will roll out slowly.

The service began on Monday, with taxi pick-ups limited to the District of Columbia.

Late last year, members of the D.C. Council voted unanimously to make Uber legal after the service operated in a gray area that rankled traditional taxicab companies and cab drivers.