City Authorizes Limo Waybill Inspections

(Photo: Thomas George-Williams)

Penalties for Violations Up to $5,000 Also Approved With the help of Assemblyman Mark Leno, UTW got state law changed to allow cities to regulate the inspection of limousine waybills. On Jan. 17, the Board of Supervisors gave final passage by a unanimous vote to legislation authorizing the city to enforce the new state provisions. Mayor Gavin Newsom signed the ordinance into law on Jan. 20. It takes effect 31 days from the date of the mayor’s signature. click here to read this article

A line of taxis heads up Sutter Street on its way past the Grand Hyatt Hotel Dec. 7 as part of UTW’s ongoing series of protests against the corrupt steering of hotel guests into limousines. click here to view more pictures

Controller’s Report Indicates
Drivers Being Overcharged
Cab companies may not charge more than an average of $86.50 a shift, according to a Taxi Industry Report prepared for the Board of Supervisors by the Controller’s Office. Most large companies currently charge an average of $91.50 a shift.
The December report on rates of fare and gate fees recommends meter and gate increases to compensate for general inflation and increased fuel costs. The inflation rate since the last...
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Mayor Announces Incentives For Alternative-Fuel Taxis Mayor Gavin Newsom held a Dec. 14 press conference to promote the use of alternative-fuel taxis in San Francisco. He announced new financial incentives for compressed natural gas (CNG) cabs, and set an ambitious goal for clean-air cabs of 50 percent of the fleet by the end of 2007. click here to read this article

(Photo: Mark Gruberg)

Mayor Gavin Newsom answers a reporter’s question at a Dec. 14 press event promoting the use of alternative-fuel vehicles as taxis. Behind the mayor are cab driving Taxi Commissioners Mary McGuire and Paul Gillespie. In the background is a row of CNG and hybrid cabs.

Health Plan Report Due Soon A long-delayed study commissioned by the Department of Public Health (DPH) on options for funding a taxi driver health care plan is due out in February, according to DPH. The report was supposed to be issued last July, but it could not be completed because cab companies failed to file financial statements as required by law. The statements were finally filed in October. The health plan was UTW’s idea. Supervisor Tom Ammiano sponsored the proposal, which gained the initial approval of the Board of Supervisors in 2002. The original deadline for its final enactment was January 2004.

Hearing on Adding Cabs Scheduled for Feb. 14 The Taxi Commission will conduct its annual Public Convenience and Necessity (PC&N) hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 14 to determine whether more cabs are needed to serve the public. The meeting will take place at City Hall, Room 400, at 6:30 p.m. The commission will accept written comments until Feb. 7. Submissions should be sent to: San Francisco Taxi Commission 25 Van Ness Ave., Suite 420 San Francisco, CA 94102

At the Taxi Commission
The Taxi Commission meets the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 6:30 p.m., in room 400 of City Hall. Special meetings may be scheduled as needed. The following is a summary of significant commission proceedings at recent meetings:
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Muni Asks Paratransit Fee Extension
Muni is seeking an extension of the fee it has been charging the taxi industry to help allay the costs of the paratransit program. When the meter and gate cap last increased in January 2003, the Board of Supervisors authorized an extra 10 cents on the flag drop and $1.50 on the gate to reimburse Muni for increased costs to the program. The temporary subsidy expired on Dec. 31.
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UTW Appeals Move Forward The Board of Appeals has agreed to hear UTW’s appeal of a Taxi Commission’s decision approving a settlement between the commission and Veterans Cab over Veterans’ 25 corporate medallions. click here to read this article

Contribute to UTW’s Legal Fund

UTW maintains a legal fund to pay the expenses of the appeals we have taken.

Your contribution is greatly appreciated. Checks should be made out to United Taxicab Workers. Please note “Legal Fund” in the memo space. Our address is 2940 16th St., Rm. 314, S.F. 94103.

Companies Object to Debit Card Contract
Most major San Francisco cab companies have complained to the U.S. Department of Transportation over a contract to implement a debit card system for paratransit scrip. The companies allege violations of federal conflict of interest rules, misrepresentations to the industry in order to gain its support and mismanagement by Muni, which is responsible for the paratransit program.
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Hyatt Hotels Respond to UTW
In connection with UTW’s protests against hotels for steering passengers into limos, we wrote management at the Hyatt Regency and Grand Hyatt, informing them (in case they didn’t know) of what was going on in front of their hotels and asking for meetings to discuss putting an end to these illegal and unfair practices. In late December, we received similar letters from the top managers at both hotels.
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The Next Protest: DPT! After targeting the Hyatt Regency and Grand Hyatt — the two leading vote-getters in UTW’s Dirty Dozen survey of the worst hotels for steering guests into limousines — we are next turning our attention to the Department of Parking & Traffic (DPT). It seems that parking control officers spend lots of time ticketing cab drivers who are forced to double park while picking up or dropping off passengers, but hardly any time at all going after limos illegally occupying hotel white zones while waiting for the doorman’s signal. The protest will take place at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at DPT headquarters, 1380 Howard Street. Let’s send DPT a loud message: TICKET LAWBREAKING LIMOUSINES, NOT CAB DRIVERS DOING THEIR JOBS! click here to read the flyer

Commission Conducts Annual Safety Hearing There were 20 reported taxi robberies and no homicides between January and November 2005, according to statistics furnished by the Police Department’s Taxi Detail. click here to read this article

Offenses Against Cab Drivers 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Homicide 0 1 0 0 0 Robbery/Carjacking 17 26 21 10 20 Battery/Assault 3 5 5 9 3 Threats/Other 0 15 7 3 1 * January-November Source: San Francisco Police Department, Taxi Detail

thE SHORT linE
Taxi drivers in St. Louis city and county say they’re sorely irritated by the tickets they get from the Metropolitan Taxicab Commission, whose agents can penalize drivers for leaving newspapers in the trunk or wearing a pinstripe on their collar. Two cabdrivers filed a lawsuit...
It’s common for taxi passengers to leave items in cabs unintentionally. “We see cell phones, keys and eyeglasses every day,” said John Rankin, owner of Queen City Taxi, Inc. of Cumberland, Maryland. But about a month ago...
Senator Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, is calling on Ford Motor Co. to offer gas tank shields for Crown Victoria taxicabs after a fiery crash in New York City that killed a cab driver...
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Post And Discuss Ideas Here! San Francisco Needs New Ideas !!!

Taxi Pick-ups, SFO, 2000-2005

Year	Pick-ups	% change previous year	% change from from 2000
2000	1,698,444	—	—
2001	1,364,998	-19.6	-19.6
2002	1,154,578	-15.4	-32.0
2003	995,491	-13.8	-41.4
2004	1,075,261	+ 8.0	-36.7
2005	1,148,760	+ 6.8	-32.4

Source: San Francisco International Airport, Landside Operations

Problems at SFO?
Taxi drivers who observe problems or have disputes with dispatchers inside the garage or at the terminal stands at San Francisco International Airport should contact the on-duty shift manager at one of the following numbers:
(650) 821-2700 or (650) 821-2704
Problems or complaints can also be addressed to Landside Operations: (650) 821-6528

Report Illegal Taxis
If you witness limousines acting as taxis or out-of-town or unlicensed cabs picking up in San Francisco, please report the following to the Taxi Detail: 1) date and time; 2) location; 3) license plate; 4) if a limo, the TCP number; 4) if an out-of-town cab, the company and cab number; 5) any phone number on the vehicle. The number to call 24 hours a day is 553-1447.

UNITED TO WIN is published quarterly by United Taxicab Workers. 
We welcome the submission of letters, photos and articles to be considered for publication.
Printer: Graffik Natwicks, 760 Bryant St., S.F. 94107.  Editor: Mark Gruberg