Will D.C. taxis mimic Uber with surge pricing?

There is now talk of this:

Washington could become one of the first U.S. cities to allow its cabdrivers to ignore their meters and adjust fares depending on demand.

D.C. Council members Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) and David Grosso (I-At Large) have introduced legislation that would allow the city’s taxi drivers to embrace “surge pricing,” a practice used by popular mobile-dispatched car services such as Uber, in which prices are adjusted in real-time according to demand.

The council members say that the shift, which would apply only to passengers who use their smartphones or tablets to book a ride, will allow traditional cabs to better compete with new app-based ride services that have sprung up in the District and across the country.

The move could benefit riders by allowing them to comparison shop. But surge pricing has its critics, who say the practice can lead to gouging.

There is more here.