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SFMTA board approves replacing defunct state brake certificate with 19-point inspection for taxis
Summary
The board voted to amend the transportation code to remove the now-defunct state brake-certificate requirement for taxis and require a 19-point inspection; taxi-industry speakers urged clearer outreach and expressed concerns about contractor accountability even as staff said the new inspection would average about $50.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board on Feb. 4 approved an amendment to the city's transportation code to replace a state brake certificate requirement for taxi vehicles with a 19-point inspection, a staff-led change to address the elimination of the state program.
Philip Crana of Taxis Access and Mobility Services told the board the brake certificate program was ended at the state level and the proposed 19-point inspection is an industry standard used for other for-hire vehicles. He said the replaced brake-certificate typically cost about $200, the VSSI program would cost roughly $300 and the 19-point inspection averages about $50, enabling permittees to "shop around" for competitively priced mechanics.
Taxi representatives and drivers asked for more outreach and raised concerns about redundancy with the ground transportation unit (GTU) inspections and mechanics' reliability. Mark Gruberg and community commenters said most of the 19 items already overlap with GTU checks and asked whether the GTU at SFO could incorporate the brake-check components. Kate Torren, director of Taxis Access and Mobility Services, said the 19-point inspection is the most practical alternative to the now-defunct state program and emphasized safety as the primary goal.
Directors asked clarifying questions about whether ride-hailing inspections are done virtually and whether the GTU could absorb the brake review; staff said TNC inspections are not regulated by SFMTA and that virtual inspections exist in some sectors but that the taxi rule change applies only to taxi vehicles. Director Kahina asked about outreach and staff said they will implement the change through the existing third-party pilot and communicate details to taxi operators.
A motion to approve the amendment passed on a roll-call vote with aye votes from the board.
