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Committee advances SAPD plan to rename limousine rules, allow 21 electric permits for carriage operators and raise micro‑mobility insurance
Summary
San Antonio Police Department staff proposed renaming the limousine code to 'luxury vehicle service', loosening vehicle entry options, authorizing 21 electric‑vehicle permits to current horse carriage permit holders (up to 7 per owner) and raising insurance minimums for e‑vehicles and pedicabs; the committee voted 3–1 to send the recommendations to B session.
The Transportation Infrastructure Committee voted June 2 to forward SAPD staff recommendations to the next available B session after a lengthy discussion about the future of the limousine industry, the transition away from horse‑drawn carriages and insurance requirements for pedicabs and group cycles.
Rick Riley, assistant director with the San Antonio Police Department, described three related proposals: amend the limousine permit entry rules to add limo buses and limo vans; rename Chapter 33 from "limousine service" to "luxury vehicle service" to reflect industry changes; and authorize 21 electric‑vehicle‑for‑hire permits that current horse carriage permit holders could exchange for their carriage permits as part of the city’s earlier ordinance winding down horse carriage operations by Jan. 1, 2030. "Once a horse carriage permit is turned in for that e vehicle electric vehicle permit, the horse carriage permit is void and shall not be reissued back to the original permit holder," Riley said.
Riley also outlined staff and risk management recommendations for insurance changes. For electric vehicles, staff outlined a shift toward commercial limits (roughly $200,000 bodily injury, $500,000 total per accident, and $200,000 property damage versus the prior $1,000,000 blanket figure and state minimums). For pedicabs and group cycles, risk management recommended insurance near $350,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage.
Two public commenters appeared in support of a careful transition. Art Martinez Davata, who identified himself as representing Yellow Rose Horse Carriage, HRH, Bluebonnet and Lollipop, asked the committee to “re‑urge our request for an extension of time in our negotiated wind down time frame” after a slow holiday season and urged consistent city policy toward working animals. Andres Hernandez, president of CTA Schubert Transportation, said he strongly supported the staff recommendation for limousine regulation and emphasized enforcement and safety concerns in the industry.
Councilmembers raised fairness questions about how to allocate e‑vehicle permits among owners (staff proposed allocating up to seven per owner), how to avoid simply increasing total vehicles on city streets during transition, and whether the Transportation Department should take a lead role rather than SAPD on non‑public‑safety aspects. Staff said draft ordinance language could be brought to B session and that some operators have contacts for electric carriage procurement; staff gave a rough lead time of three to six months to obtain e‑carriages and an estimated unit cost of about $20,000.
A motion to send the SAPD recommendations to the next available B session passed 3–1; Councilmember Spears recorded the lone 'no' vote. Staff will prepare draft ordinance language, provide requested ridership and permitting data ahead of B session and return with specifics on permit allocation and any recommended financial assistance mechanisms to support operators through the transition.
