Assembly panel reviews proposed Title 11 overhaul to vehicle-for-hire rules, including smart meters and higher fare cap

Anchorage transportation staff on Feb. 13 presented proposed revisions to Anchorage Municipal Code Title 11 that would change how the city regulates taxis, tour vans and other vehicle-for-hire services.

Carrie Dalton, of the Transportation Inspection Division, said the ordinance package would clarify code language, remove state‑preempted provisions, require dispatch systems to use digital “smart” taximeters, strengthen enforcement and recordkeeping, extend audio/video retention from 72 hours to five days and raise the maximum dispatch fare cap from $3 to $6.

Dalton told the Assembly the smart taximeter is a dispatch‑based application that uses GPS and can be updated centrally; she quoted industry vendors as saying implementation is largely a software change, “flipping the switch.” She said most smaller dispatch systems already use smart meters and that Yellow Cab has not expressed opposition but asked for time to train drivers.

The change to smart meters is framed in the draft ordinance as a way to reduce repeated…