Section 1019.8. Dispatcher requirements

(a) General requirements. A dispatcher shall continually maintain standards and equipment capable of providing prompt and adequate service to the public, including the following:

(1) Control a radio frequency signal of sufficient strength to transmit and receive real time verbal communication and data throughout Philadelphia.

(2) Respond to customer calls 24 hours a day.

(3) Have taxicabs available for dispatch 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

(4) Dispatch taxicabs with current Authority rights to provide the service requested.

(5) Obtain the Authority’s confirmation, which may be provided by the Authority through e-mail, of a taxicab’s good standing before beginning to provide it with dispatching service.

(6) Have at least one display advertisement in a telephone book with citywide circulation in Philadelphia or a web site which displays all of the information necessary to order a taxicab through the dispatcher.

(7) Have a minimum of four coordinated telephone lines to receive incoming calls for service from the public.

(8) Operate and maintain a taxicab meter system approved by the Authority as provided in § 1017.23 (relating to approved meters), including computer hardware and software, means of communication between the dispatcher and each taxicab meter and the Authority.

(9) Answer customer questions about rates and services provided within 12 hours.

(10) Answer customer questions or complaints about service in writing and within 5 days of receipt of the complaint.

(11) Maintain records as provided in § 1019.14 (relating to dispatcher records).

(12) A dispatcher may not discriminate against nor allow its affiliated drivers to discriminate against any member of the public and may not refuse service to any section of Philadelphia. Partial-rights taxicabs may only be dispatched to provide service consistent with the certificate holder’s rights.

(13) A dispatcher shall be able to receive and respond to emergency or distress alerts received from taxicab drivers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

(14) In addition to the requirements in the act, this part or an order of the Authority, a dispatcher may institute rules of conduct for drivers and certificate holders associated with the dispatcher.

(15) A dispatcher shall report violations of the act, this part or an order of the Authority committed by a driver or certificate holder associated with the dispatcher to the Authority immediately.

(16) Upon receipt of a request for wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) taxicab service directly from a source, including a potential customer or as provided in § 1021.16(a) (relating to service issues regarding people with disabilities), a dispatcher not authorized to dispatch WAV taxicabs shall immediately forward the potential customer’s contact information and location to a WAV taxicab dispatcher through a means of electronic communication approved by the Authority.

(17) Operate and maintain a safety camera system as provided in § 1017.73 (relating to approved safety camera system), including the computer hardware and software means of wireless communication necessary.

(b) WAV taxicab dispatcher authorization and renewal.

(1) A dispatcher or applicant for a dispatcher’s certificate as provided in § 1019.3 (relating to dispatcher application) may request authorization to act as a WAV taxicab dispatcher by filing a Form No. DSP-7 ‘‘WAV Dispatcher Authorization’’ with the Manager of Administration. Form No. DSP-7 is available on the Authority’s web site at www.philapark.org/tld.

(2) The authorization to dispatch WAV taxicabs is nontransferable.

(3) The authorization to dispatch WAV taxicabs will automatically expire on July 1 of each year. A dispatcher may reapply for WAV dispatcher authorization at the time it makes its annual filing as provided in § 1011.3 (relating to annual rights renewal process).

(4) The authorization to dispatch WAV taxicabs may be suspended, cancelled or revoked for a violation of the act, this part or an order of the Authority.

(5) Dispatchers engaged in dispatching of WAV taxicabs on August 30, 2014, may continue without the authorization required under subsection (b)(1) until July 1, 2015. This exemption does not apply to the dispatching of WAV medallion taxicabs.

(c) WAV taxicab dispatcher requirements.

(1) Only a WAV taxicab dispatcher may dispatch WAV taxicabs.

(2) A WAV taxicab dispatcher may not have less than 10% of the WAV taxicabs authorized by the Authority to provide city-wide call or demand service in its association at all times. The Authority will maintain a current list of authorized WAV taxicabs on its web site at www.philapark.org/tld.

(3) A WAV taxicab dispatcher shall maintain a means of immediate and simultaneous telephone, Internet or other electronic communication with every WAV taxicab dispatcher that is approved in advance by the Authority. The Authority will post a list of approved communication methods on its web site at www.philapark.org/tld.

(4) Dispatchers shall give preference to persons seated in a wheelchair when dispatching a WAV taxicab.

(5) Customers referred to a dispatcher as provided in subsection (a)(16) or § 1021.16(a) shall be serviced in all ways as if the request were made directly to the dispatcher.

(6) In the event that a WAV taxicab dispatcher cannot provide a WAV taxicab to a requesting customer within 20 minutes, the request for service shall be forwarded by the WAV taxicab dispatcher to every other WAV taxicab dispatcher through the system required under paragraph (3).

(7) The information provided by the forwarding WAV taxicab dispatcher as provided in paragraph (6) must include the information necessary to provide the requested service, including the following:

(i) The time the request was received by the forwarding WAV dispatcher.

(ii) The time that the service is requested to begin.

(iii) The location where the WAV taxicab is expected to appear to initiate service.

(iv) The telephone number and other contact information of the person requesting service, if available.

(v) The time that the forwarding WAV dispatcher would be able to initiate service, if at all.

(8) A WAV taxicab dispatcher shall immediately accept the request forwarded as provided in paragraph (6) if the dispatcher can provide a WAV taxicab as requested before the forwarding dispatcher and sooner than any other WAV dispatcher. If the request for service is not accepted, the forwarding WAV dispatcher shall provide the service as provided in paragraph (7)(v).

(9) Acceptance of the forwarded request shall be simultaneously communicated to all other WAV taxicab dispatchers through the system required under paragraph (3).

(10) The accepting dispatcher shall inform the person that has requested WAV taxicab service that it will dispatch a WAV taxicab to the requester immediately.

(11) A WAV dispatcher shall use a dispatching system that maintains the following data, in addition to the requirements in this section and § 1019.14:

(i) Each request to the dispatcher for a WAV taxicab and the dispatcher’s response to that request.

(ii) Each occasion of WAV taxicab service to a person in a wheelchair by a taxicab in the dispatcher’s association, including the date of service, the amount of the fare paid and the manner in which the taxicab service was initiated.

(iii) The name and WAV taxicab driver certificate number for each driver that has accepted or declined a dispatch for service to a person in a wheelchair.

(12) The WAV dispatcher’s monthly filing of Form No. DSP-4 as provided in § 1019.9 (relating to list of affiliated taxicabs) must include the data maintained in its dispatch system as provided in paragraph (11).

(13) The Authority will maintain a list of WAV dispatchers on its web site at www.philapark.org/tld.

The provisions of this § 1019.8 amended August 29, 2014, effective August 30, 2014, 44 Pa.B. 5662; amended October 24, 2014, effective October 25, 2014, 44 Pa.B. 6769. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (373116) to (373119).

Notation

Cross References

This section cited in 52 Pa. Code § 1011.2 (relating to definitions); 52 Pa. Code § 1019.3 (relating to dispatcher application); and 52 Pa. Code § 1019.6 (relating to review of dispatcher application).