Transitional regional dispatch agency or regional dispatch agency operation—Requirements
Seattle Mun. Code § 6.311.360
in effect6.311.360 - Transitional regional dispatch agency or regional dispatch agency operation—Requirements
A. At all times, a transitional regional dispatch agency or regional dispatch agency shall:
1. Operate with a valid transitional regional dispatch agency or regional dispatch agency license;
2. Ensure all information provided to the Director does not misstate or omit material facts;
3. Inform the Director in writing within seven days if any of the information provided in the transitional regional dispatch agency or regional dispatch agency license application changes, including if it ceases to be true or is superseded in any way by new information;
4. Ensure any driver of an affiliated vehicle possesses a valid regional for-hire driver's license, enhanced regional for-hire driver's license, or regional for-hire driver's license wheelchair accessible vehicle endorsement, or any combination thereof, as applicable to either the ride type or the vehicle type, or both;
5. Require affiliated vehicles to meet all requirements of this Chapter 6.311, including, but not limited to, passing an annual vehicle safety inspection and being licensed, endorsed, and insured;
6. Notify the Director in writing within seven days upon adding or removing an affiliated vehicle;
7. Require affiliated vehicles to be fully equipped as required by this Chapter 6.311 whenever operating as a taxicab or for-hire vehicle;
8. Accept service of general correspondence, license actions, citations, and notices of complaints on behalf of an affiliated driver or vehicle owner and forward such to the respective affiliated driver or vehicle owner;
9. Prioritize dispatch services to passengers in wheelchairs or other mobility devices when dispatching affiliated wheelchair accessible vehicles;
10. Allow passengers to indicate whether they require a wheelchair-accessible vehicle and connect passengers to those services either directly or via a weblink, application, or phone number, if no wheelchair accessible vehicles are available on the agency's application dispatch system. The Director may suspend or alter this requirement by rule if a Director-approved dispatch system is established for wheelchair accessible trips;
11. Maintain a phone number, mailing address, and email address for passenger service;
12. Record all trips, process all payments, and issue a receipt for all payments through the dispatch system, a smart taximeter system, or an application dispatch system provided to affiliated drivers;
13. Comply with the data reporting requirements established in this Chapter 6.311;
14. Operate only Director-approved application dispatch systems;
15. Require affiliated vehicles to comply with applicable rate structures defined in this Chapter 6.311;
16. Have, maintain, and monitor, while one or more affiliated vehicles are active, a duress alarm for the driver;
17. Establish and enforce operating standards for affiliated drivers and vehicles to ensure code compliance and passenger satisfaction;
18. Satisfy every request for service as long as there are affiliated taxicabs or for-hire vehicles available; except that transitional regional dispatch agencies, regional dispatch agencies, and regional for-hire drivers that refuse service within the meaning of subsection 6.311.170.J, shall not be subject to any penalties by the Director, and, in the case of regional for-hire drivers, by the transitional regional dispatch agency or regional dispatch agency;
19. Require affiliated vehicles to use a uniform color scheme or any associated graphics, or both, approved by the Director;
20. Provide a supervisor at a taxicab zone whenever such zone is used by affiliated taxicabs if the Director determines that it is necessary due to complaints received from passengers and adjacent property owners or improper use of nearby passenger load zones, truck load zones, and charter bus zones. If the transitional regional dispatch agency or regional dispatch agency fails to provide a supervisor as required by the Director, the Director may prohibit all affiliated taxicabs from using the taxicab zone;
21. Require affiliated vehicles to operate on an approved taximeter, smart taximeter system, or application dispatch system as required in this Chapter 6.311;
22. Remit fares made via electronic payment to regional for-hire drivers within two business days after the ride was completed;
23. Remit fares made via electronic payment through the smart taximeter system to regional for-hire drivers in amounts not less than the full fare paid by the passenger, excluding deductions for fees agreed to in accordance with Section 6.311.370;
24. Comply with applicable business license requirements for any jurisdiction in which the transitional regional dispatch agency or regional dispatch operates; and
25. Meet any other requirement as established by the Director by rule.
B. A transitional regional dispatch agency that is not affiliated with taxicabs at the time of being issued a transitional regional dispatch agency license does not need to:
1. Affiliate with taxicabs;
2. Have or operate a taximeter;
3. Comply with taximeter rates; or
4. Provide a supervisor at a taxicab zone because for-hire vehicles are not permitted to operate at a taxicab zone.
C. Persons not previously licensed as a taxicab association or recognized as a for-hire vehicle company may apply for a transitional regional dispatch agency license in a manner determined by the Director.
D. 1.
Transitional regional dispatch agencies and regional dispatch agencies shall maintain accurate and complete operational records for all affiliated vehicles and shall submit quarterly reports, in an electronic format approved by the Director.
2. Reports shall include the following:
a. A total count of rides per origination ZIP Code;
b. A total count of rides per destination ZIP Code;
c. A total count of unfulfilled ride requests by ZIP Code;
d. A total count of rides provided by a wheelchair accessible vehicle by ZIP Code;
e. A total count of unfulfilled ride requests for a wheelchair accessible vehicle by ZIP Code;
f. A list of vehicle collisions, including the vehicle medallion number, regional for-hire driver's license number, and if known, whether the collision was the fault of the regional for-hire driver; and whether the collision resulted in any injuries;
g. A list of crimes committed against drivers;
h. A list of passenger complaints; and
i. Any other data required by the Director to ensure compliance.
3. Transitional regional dispatch agencies and regional dispatch agencies shall retain records related to the reports required under this subsection 6.311.360.D for the current year and at least the two prior calendar years. Records may be maintained electronically.
4. If a public records request is made of the City for documents that have been designated by a licensee as confidential or proprietary, the City may provide third party notice to the providing party prior to disclosure.
E. A transitional regional dispatch agency and regional dispatch agency shall store, and upon request permit the Director to review, all records required by this Chapter 6.311 for affiliated drivers and vehicles including, but not limited to, copies of regional for-hire driver's licenses, taxicab and for-hire vehicle medallions, lists of all affiliated drivers and their affiliated vehicles, passenger feedback, new driver training records, dispatch records, and proof of vehicle insurance and vehicle registration. In addition, the transitional regional dispatch agency or regional dispatch agency shall:
1. Retain records, electronically or otherwise, for the current year and at least the prior two calendar years;
2. Provide the Director with any other information the Director may reasonably require upon request; and
3. Timely respond to the Director's request for information.
F. The Director may authorize a transitional regional dispatch agency or regional dispatch agency to submit regional for-hire driver's license applications on behalf of its affiliated drivers, in a manner approved by the Director.
G. A transitional regional dispatch agency or regional dispatch agency may maintain a rating system for drivers and passengers to rate each other following a trip.
(Ord. 126977, § 1, 2023.)
Source: City of Seattle, Seattle Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/wa/seattle/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT6BURE_SUBTITLE_IVNELICO_CH6.311FRETRAXFREVEDR_6.311.360TRREDIAGREDIAGOPEQFetched: 11/1/2026