DEPARTMENT: Police Department
DEPARTMENT HEAD: William P. McManus, Chief of Police
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUMMARY:
At the City Council's direction City staff, the taxicab industry, and a group of independent driver representatives have worked over the last 11 months to evaluate and discuss potential modifications to the Chapter 33 Vehicle-for-Hire ordinance. After nearly a year of effort, City Council is now being presented with recommended changes to Chapter 33:
* Delete the requirement for a holder to have at least three taxicabs to be considered a company.
* Issue 75 permits to new single taxicab companies through a lottery in January, 2018 and again in June, 2018. Then remove the permit issuance ratio (1:1700) for taxis in January, 2019.
BACKGROUND:
In recent years there have been various changes made to the Chapter 33 Vehicle-for-Hire ordinance. During the latest planning proceedings for these revisions, a group of approximately 200 independent taxicab drivers submitted a petition to SAPD requesting the creation of an owner/operator permit category for drivers within Chapter 33.
At the City Council B-Session on November 30, 2016, SAPD presented the independent taxicab driver's petition and outlined their request. As a result, City Council directed staff to investigate the owner/operator permit concept. After researching the matter, staff formed a recommendation that would both allow single permit taxicab companies to operate and remove the permit issuance ratio for taxis from Chapter 33.
In March 2017, the Transportation Advisory Board (TAB) reviewed staff's proposal and unanimously voted to reject it.
On May 17, 2017 City staff conducted a presentation for the Public Safety Committee regarding the aforementioned recommendation and City Councilmembers posed several questions requiring additional research.
August 28, 2017 - SAPD returned to the TAB to confirm the board's position did not change; the committee is not in support ...
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