Taxi drivers and residents tell board that app-based ride services undermine regulated industry and raise safety concerns

Several public speakers used the general public comment period on June 4 to urge the Board to address app-based ride services operating in San Francisco without the same regulatory obligations as taxis.

Mark Brueberg of United Tax Cab Workers said ride-service companies operate without the permits, inspections, driver training and insurance required of taxis, and that the mayor's public praise of those services undermines the regulated industry. Taxi drivers such as Mary McGuire raised safety and equity concerns, including geographic targeting by some apps that discourages pickups in neighborhoods such as Richmond, Bayview and Excelsior. McGuire and others said drivers from outside the region were operating in San Francisco and called for stronger city enforcement.

Speakers also raised insurance questions: if a private vehicle is used for commercial rides but covered only by personal insurance, they asserted, injured passengers could face difficulty securing claims. Callers urged the board to hold hearings and press enforcement to ensure a level regulatory playing field for the taxi industry and to protect passenger safety.

The remarks were delivered during general public comment; supervisors did not take immediate action on the issue during the meeting, though taxi-industry concerns are a recurring subject at board sessions and in subsequent correspondence referenced by supervisors and staff in other forums.