Where Do We Go From Here? Important Announcement From SFMTA Regarding Future Of Medallion Sales. Agency Seeks Input From Taxi Industry.

(From the SFMTA)  The Taxi Advisory Council will be considering proposals for the next phase of the taxi medallion sales pilot program.  Now that the Pilot Plan is winding down, how should medallions be distributed going forward? 

If you have an idea about the future of medallion distribution you are invited to submit it to the Taxi Advisory Council for consideration.  ALL PROPOSALS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 5:00pm on OCTOBER 19.

Please submit your written proposal to Joselyn.Caceres@sfmta.com, or you may hand-deliver or mail your written proposal to:

Attention Joselyn Caceres

SFMTA Taxi Services

One South Van Ness 7^th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94103

All alternative programs should clearly outline the following:

a.    Summary of the proposed industry business model

b.    Negative and positive impacts on:

                                          i.    Drivers

                                        ii.    Permit holders

                                       iii.    Cab companies

                                       iv.    SFMTA

                                        v.    Overall service to the public

c.    Transition plan from how we currently operate to the intended model

Each presenter will be given 10 minutes to present their proposal at an upcoming Taxi Advisory Council meeting.

Public comment will be allowed after presentations have been made.

Q&A session for the council will follow public comment.

Board Of Supervisors Committee To Hold Hearing On 5% Credit Card Fees Against Taxi Drivers. By Mark Gruberg.

File photo by John Han. 

In case you thought the fight over credit card fees was over, it ain't.  On Thursday, a committee of the Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing on a Resolution sponsored by Supervisor David Campos. 

The title of the legislation is "Resolution urging the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to reconsider and abandon the decision to shift the burden of credit merchant charges to the city cab drivers." 

If you're a full-time driver paying 5% (which is far more than others pay for credit processing), these fees are costing you $1,000+ a year -- and as credit use continues to expand, it will be costing you more and more.    

 

Supervisor Campos first brought this Resolution to the Board several months ago.  The vote was 7-4 in favor, but because Campos opted not to refer it to committee for a hearing, it needed eight votes to pass.  This time, if it is passed out of committee, it will only need a simple majority of six votes at the Board.  (It also would need the mayor's signature.)      

 

For the record, the vote at the Board was as follows:

For: John Avalos, David Campos, David Chiu, Malia Cohen, Jane Kim, Eric Mar, Ross Mirkarimi.

Against: Carmen  Chu, Sean Elsbernd, Mark Farrell, Scott Weiner.

 

The hearing at the Government Audit and Oversight Committee will take place Thursday, Oct. 13 in Room 263 of City Hall.  The meeting starts at 10, but they're not expected to get to the taxi Resolution before 11 a.m.  Committee members are Campos (Chair), Mark Farrell and David Chiu.

 

It is extremely important to come to this meeting.  All the momentum we've gained over the past months could be lost if there is a sense that the steam has gone out of driver protests.  We need to send a powerful message that drivers are united and determined to eliminate these fees -- and we need the political support of the Board of Supervisors to pressure the MTA to take this step.

SFMTA Seeks To Assist Cab Drivers In Reporting Illegal Taxis. By John Han.

A notice was put out by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) to help properly licensed San Francisco cab drivers report illegal taxis. 

SFMTA taxi investigator Eric Richholt says the number one most important piece of information to get on an illegal taxi is the license plate number, and then in this order of importance...

1. Any phone number on the vehicle
2. Any name or identifying number on the vehicle, (such as Blue Sky Cab #47)
3. Description of driver. 

The SFMTA says photos can also be emailed with the information as well, but urges cab drivers to refrain from doing anything reckless while driving to capture the information. 

"Please don't put yourself or your passengers in danger trying to chase down bandit cabs." (SFMTA)

The SFMTA has said in the past that removing illegal taxis from San Francisco's streets could justify the issuing of new, legitimate medallions.  

Information may be emailed to Eric Richholt at ericrichholt@sfmta.com

(PS:  Kudos to the SFMTA for referring to illegal taxis as "bandit" cabs instead of gypsy cabs.  While cab drivers and newspapers may take liberties to say "gypsy" cabs, SFMTA is a government agency, and has implemented a proper choice of words.)

Correction to Story:

In the article titled, "When It Comes To Transportation Oracle Likes Private Charter Buses And Pedi-Cabs, But Maybe Not Taxis.", I photographed and published a temporary taxi stand set up for the convention, and wrote that the stand was between Mission and Howard St.

The correct location was at the south end of the block between Howard and Folsom St.

(John Han)

When It Comes To Transportation Oracle Likes Private Charter Buses And Pedi-Cabs, But Maybe Not Taxis. By John Han.

Oracle 2011 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. 

Oracle, the database management software company that brings over 40,000 extra people to San Francisco once a year, flooding hotels, restaurants, and clubs to capacity, may not think very much of cab drivers.  

The company hired private charter buses and pedi-cabs to provide exclusive curbside service to its tens of thousands of attendees.  That's understandable.  Oracle is easily the largest convention in San Francisco all year, bringing business to lots of people, and its attendees are going to have to get top notch service to and from the convention, hotels, and restaurants.  

But taxi drivers, it would seem, must step aside when there's something important going on in the City, like Oracle.  Cabs were excluded from providing curbside service at the convention, the taxi access being moved away to the area's outskirts.    

Take a look...  

Occupy SF.

SF taxi driver Brad Newsham at Wednesday's "Occupy SF" march.  The sign says
'Cab Driver, $35,000/year'.   

(Photos by John Han)

Okay so this isn't directly taxi related.  But as a cab driver I could relate.  One would never get rich being a cab driver.  At the same time, we live in a city with lots of millionaires and billionaires.  I also think I've had every kind of person in my cab that either participated in the march, or watched it (either with approval or disapproval).  

Thought I'd post pictures and and comments on Wednesday's "Occupy SF" march.  The Huffington Post has coverage of it.  

I would think other cab drivers could relate.  BTW, this was a very peaceful protest.

SF Taxi Driver Suffers Stroke While Driving His Taxi, Then Dies. Fellow Drivers Offer Money For His Burial. By John Han.

SF Taxi Driver Richard Odeboju

suffered a stroke allegedly while

driving a taxi.  He was taken to a

hospital by ambulance but died

eleven days later. 

On July 6, 2011, San Francisco taxi driver Barbajide R. Odeboju, (AKA - Richard Odeboju), was admitted into the hospital after suffering from a stoke, which allegedly occurred while driving a taxi.   

Odeboju, who was 58 years old, was Nigerian born and had resided in Oakland for at least 25 years.  He is said to have no next of kin in the United States. 

According to California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) records, Odeboju was taken by ambulance to CPMC's Davies Campus at 45 Castro St. in San Francisco.  He stayed there in the hospital until he passed away eleven days later on the 17th.

Stroke is listed as the "immediate cause" of passing away, according to public record, although an autopsy wasn't performed. 

In addition to, or aside from the facts so far, the following is an interpretation of an account that was offered to Taxi TownSF by Yellow Cab taxi driver Tariq Mehmood, regarding Mr. Odeboju's passing.

How Is It Possible To Collect Unemployment And Work As A Taxi Driver? Answer By John Han.

Here is a question that was asked by a reader under the "Ask A Cab Driver" section.  

Q: "Hi everyone, My question is : how is it possible to collect unemployment and work as a taxi driver? i talked to some drivers in NY and they said too many drivers doing that!"

A: Anecdotally, this is because taxi driving has been an under the table, all cash business for decades. And since cab drivers are classified as independent contractors, there are no employee W-2 forms issued by the cab company.

And since cab companies are considered vehicle leasing services to drivers, (in other words, they're in the "taxi related" business of renting taxicabs to drivers, not taxi service itself to the public), they do not issue 1099 forms to cab drivers for services paid for and rendered to the cab company by the cab driver. 

So there's no paper trail either by W-2 or 1099. This is most likely how taxi drivers have been able to collect unemployment or other government benefits, since there was no evidence of any income. 

This may or may not begin to change come 2012 because of a new IRS rule. In 2012, cab companies under the new law will have to issue 1099K forms to all their cab drivers documenting all fares paid by credit and debit cards. This will for the first time in over thirty years verify at least part of a taxi drivers income, and may make it harder for cab drivers who are simultaneously collecting unemployment.

Announcement From SFMTA, Oracle Convention In October.

ORACLE OPEN WORLD 2011:

The 2011 Oracle Open World conference will be held on OCTOBER 1ST thru OCTOBER 6TH at the SF Moscone Center.

There will be temporary taxi zones set up as well as a detour routing as a result of the Howard St closure.  See attached for the date and times of the convention, as well as the scheduling details of the detour/street closure, along with the locations of the taxi zones.

CLICK HERE to view details.

SF Symphony and Opera Schedules. Taxis Requested. From the SFMTA

SF War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue
@ McAllister St.

Taxis needed during October 2011.  War Memorial Opera House Activity Schedule.  

October 1st - 31st, 2011:

CLICK HERE to view details.

SF Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave
@ Grove St.

Taxis needed during October 2011.  Davies Symphony Hall Activity Schedule.

October 1st - 31st:

CLICK HERE to view details.

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency

San Francisco Municipal Railway | Department of Parking & Traffic | Division of Taxis & Accessible Services

One S. Van Ness Avenue, Seventh Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103 | Tel: 415.701.4400 | Fax: 415.701.5437 | www.sfmta.com