The Phantom Cab Driver Phites Back, by Ed Healy

Thursday, October 28, 2010

TAC Votes to End the Driving Requirement for "Key" Cab Company Personnel on the Waiting List ... Or the End of Daly/Ma?

Photo by Ed Healy

At the 10/25/10 meeting, the Taxi Advisory Council voted 12-3 to recommend ending the driving requirement for key cab personnel on the Waiting List. From the discussion leading up to the vote, "key" here means, not only managers, but mechanics and dispatchers as well. Only driver representatives John Han, David Kahn and Bill Mounsey voted against the motion.

There is a lot to be said about this motion but first I think you need to see the agenda item under which it was voted upon.  Read More>>

Electric Taxis Are On The Way.

Click Here

All electric, 0% green house gas emissions taxis are on the way.  According to the Associated Press, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission approved $33 million in federal grant money Wednesday to fund green pilot projects throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.  Those projects include all-electric vehicles to be used as taxis in San Francisco and San Jose.  A company called Better Place, which provides electric vehicle charging stations, will own the vehicles.

Read the Associated Press article on SF Gate.  Also read the SF Chronicle's article.  According to this article also in Wednesday's Chronicle, the all electric Nissan Leaf will get anywhere from 62 - 138 miles of distance per charge depending on things like speed, weather, and air condition use.  Considering that as taxis, they would power the computerized dispatching system and CB radio, as well as FM radio and CD player or I-Pod, the Leaf would likely offer taxi drivers a low range of distance per charge, probably in the 60 miles category.   As a taxi driver, I'd say I drive about 150 miles per shift on average. What do you think drivers?  Are these cars going to be good as taxis?

Taxi Drivers Never Had It So Good.

That's according to Carl Macmurdo, president of San Francisco's Medallions Holders Association,  the title tongue in cheek.   He sent in this article about rickshaw drivers in Calcutta, India published in the San Francisco Chronicle in 2002.  Check it out.

Click here to read the article.

The Phantom Cab Driver Phites Back

San Francisco is trying to protect gas and gates through the Medallion Sales Pilot Program.  Read Ed Healy's conversation with Rebecca Lytle, vice president of lending at the San Francisco Federal Credit Union (SFFCU).  SFFCU is an approved lender by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to participate in the Medallion Sales Pilot Program.  Click Here to read more...

San Francisco Taxicabs (Photostream)

Enjoy!

 Powell St. in Union Square in front the St. Francis Hotel.

Photos by John Han

(Click here to watch slide show)

SFMTA Issues "Cease and Desist" to UberCab.

According to Chris Hiyashi of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), "cease and desist" letters have been issued to UberCab on Wednesday, October 20th.  UberCab is a San Francisco based company using an i-phone app to offer on-call limousine services to passengers.  The notice was issued by a joint team of investigators from the California Public Utilities Commission and the SFMTA Taxi Service and reportedly hand delivered to UberCab CEO Ryan Graves.  The investigators say that the company has been operating in San Francisco without proper limousine or taxicab permits and may be subject to criminal prosecutions, fines, or both.  


To view the notice issued by the California Public Utilities Commission click here.
To view the notice issued by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency click here.


Read more on Ed Healy's blog.