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Proposed Ordinance Would Allow
For Inspection of Limo Waybills

Police will have new authority to examine limo waybills to verify prearranged transportation under proposed legislation introduced at the Board of Supervisors by Supervisor Sean Elsbernd. The ordinance also would give the city the authority to impose stiff penalties for operating a taxi without a permit, similar to penalties in state law that are rarely imposed.

The proposed provisions are a consequence of last year’s AB 2591, a state law sponsored by UTW and authored by San Francisco Assemblyman Mark Leno. Under AB 2591, fines for violations were increased to a maximum of $5,000, cities were authorized to seize and impound vehicles involved in lawbreaking and they were given the right to set rules for examining limousine waybills in order to verify prearranged transportation.

The new law gives San Francisco some regulatory authority over the limo industry for the first time in decades. Elsbernd’s proposal would implement the state law by bringing its provisions into the city’s Police Code.

The proposed ordinance requires limousine and shuttle operators to produce waybills upon the request of a police officer and requires those waybills to have nine pieces of information contained in state laws and regulations. The information includes the name of the person requesting or arranging the trip; the time and date the trip was arranged; the name or affiliation of at least one passenger; and points of origin and destination.

Violations may be charged as misdemeanors or infractions. Maximum misdemeanor penalties are $500-1,000 and six months in jail, while infractions carry new maximum penalties of $100-500. Newly authorized administrative penalties for operating a taxicab without a permit could be as high as $2,500-$5,000.

The legislation already has the approval of the Taxi Commission and has been referred to the Small Business Commission. It should come to the Board of Supervisors for consideration shortly.