This is the archival website for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). It is not kept up to date. Please visit the SFMTA website for current information. SFMTA Board of Directors Vote to Put More Taxis on City Streets |
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Release date: September 4, 2012 *** Press Release ***The Board of Directors of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), which oversees all transportation in the city, including the Municipal Railway (Muni), today approved a the issuance of up to 200 temporary full-time permits to taxi companies to improve San Francisco taxi service. “This plan will put hundreds of new taxis on San Francisco streets,” said Tom Nolan, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “One of the most common complaints we hear as a board is that it can be difficult to find a taxi. This plan is not the final step, but a significant one, that will help improve service for those who live, work and visit San Francisco.” These permits will be leased directly to the taxi companies. The lease terms will create an incentive to respond to radio calls for service, as well as give the SFMTA the latitude to terminate based on performance or demand. The new permits will require that vehicles be hybrid, electric, compressed natural gas, or other low emission alternative fuel vehicles. “This proposal is a win-win for our customers and for the taxi industry,” said Edward D. Reiskin, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “The additional taxis will enhance service for our customers, provide more shifts for taxi drivers, and will economically support our taxi companies by enabling them to better serve the public.” There are currently 1,535 taxis authorized to operate full-time (two ten-hour shifts, every day of the year). According to a survey conducted by the San Francisco Department of Taxicab Detail in 2000, San Franciscans had about a 40 percent chance of getting a taxi to service a dispatch call. |
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