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SFMTA taxi upfront-fare pilot draws fierce debate; committee asks for data, pauses third-party dispatch
Summary
SFMTA presented a one-year taxi upfront-fare pilot that lets taxi apps offer metered-based upfront fares and allows third-party origin trips (e.g., an Uber user routed to a taxi). Drivers and labor groups warned of surge-pricing risks and opaque data; SFMTA said apps must report telemetry and trip data and the committee voted to continue the item so SFMTA, SFCTA and stakeholders can refine safeguards.
A contentious hearing on Sept.29 put the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's taxi upfront-fare pilot at center stage, with taxi drivers, labor groups and community advocates sharply divided over whether the pilot should permit third-party dispatch by transportation-network companies.
Supervisor Connie Chan introduced a nonbinding resolution urging the SFMTA board to remove third-party dispatch from the pilot. Kate Torn, SFMTA director for Taxi, Access and Mobility Services, described a one-year pilot approved earlier by the SFMTA board: (1) taxi e-hail apps may offer an upfront fare based on the taxi meter and (2) third-party-originated trips may be routed to a taxi if the customer accepts.…
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