NCL calls on car services to ‘do the right thing’ and avoid gouging consumers during Metro shutdown – National Consumers League

March 16, 2016

Contact: Carol McKay, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org | Sally Greenberg, (202) 631-2301, sallyg@nclnet.org

Washington, DC—With this morning’s WMATA Metrorail service shutdown, the National Consumers League (NCL) is calling on car services including taxis and ride sharing services to do the right thing and abstain from fare-increase practices such as surge pricing or added surcharges. The following statement can be attributed to Sally Greenberg, executive director of the DC-based consumer group.

“Many Washington-area consumers are facing a difficult day today, and we urge companies to not further inconvenience consumers who have limited transportation options by charging exorbitant fees. Just like any other day, consumers will need to get to work, to doctors appointments, and to hospital visits, and many will have to scramble to find ways just to get their kids to school. Taxi and ride-sharing services perform a critical public service, especially in a time of crisis like today. We call on them to do the right thing: resist the temptation to take advantage of this unfortunate situation, cap rates, and ensure reasonable accessibility while Metro is out of service due to safety concerns.”

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.