Issues Identified by the Taxicab Task Force for Subcommittee Review   Ordinance Review Subcommittee Regulation - Establish a commission - Limit the number of cabs - Clarify who is responsible for the regulatory oversight of the industry - Establish a process to evaluate demonstrated need and necessity for new taxi applicants - Require new cab companies to be approved by the City Council - Review the process for how infractions are handled - Allow union insignias/stickers to be displayed on taxis - Change rule on daily trip-sheet reports/Require the daily turn in of trip sheets - Require owners and drivers to maintain current records - Clarify when a customer is permitted in the front seat of a taxi - Clarify the maintenance requirements for vehicles/equipment and visible damage standards (the "visible from 5 feet" rule) - Eliminate unannounced office inspections and clarify general rules for inspection - Eliminate behind-the-wheel testing requirements - Allow meter inspections to be valid for one year - Review liability insurance requirements - Eliminate 10% surcharge for any distance 10 miles outside of the county - Make retired city vehicles available to cab companies through sale/disposition process - Establish reciprocal recognition of neighboring cities' permit and inspection processes - Establish an age limit for taxi service vehicles - Establish a mandatory uniform or dress code for drivers (shirt with company name and name tags) - Improve City monitoring of "bandit" cabs that illegally take fares Definitions - Define the terms "owner," "employee" and "contractor" - Address refusals to pay fares and options for fare payment (checks/credit cards, etc.) - Clarify issues related to the refusal to take fares/duty to provide service - Clarify "customary baggage" and what is a reasonable charge for customary baggage - Review information required on taxi receipts (fare receipts) - Establish a full use requirement for taxis (What is the minimum number of passengers that required to use a taxicab?) Fares/Income - Review meter rates: cost of living vs. hours worked (wage/income) - Establish minimum fares at the Airport for short fares Fees - Review fees the City charges to drivers for permits and inspections - Regulate the fees charged by owners to independent drivers - Include fees charged by the City in meter increases to allow drivers to recoup the costs of City fee increases Drug and Alcohol Issues - Specify the grounds for denial of permits for failing to maintain a drug testing program - Review the administration of the drug testing program (who should monitor and how it should be implemented) Customer Service Subcommittee Customer Service - Require animals, other than service animals (seeing eye dogs, etc.) to be caged while in cabs - Address cleanliness of cabs - Encourage greater driver attention to hygiene and courtesy Disabled and Senior Populations - Review senior citizen discounts and short fares - Establish wheelchair requirements for taxi companies - Establish a program to waive City fees to encourage more wheelchair-accessible taxis - Encourage the free movement of wheelchair taxis within Santa Clara County and between Santa Clara County and other counties - Review overall taxi services to the disabled - Allow the use of disabled parking to pick up and drop off senior and disabled passengers - Establish accessible and identifiable wheelchair pickup and drop off locations at the Airport - Encourage drivers to be aware of disabled issues and require drivers to take sensitivity training on the Americans with Disability Act. - Make more taxis or van transportation services available to the disabled community. Airport - Open the Airport concession to more/all companies - Move free shuttles closer to taxi islands to encourage "short" fares to hotels to use free shuttles - Review general traffic congestion at Airport - Review customer wait times at Airport in off-peak hours when a number of planes arrive all at once (including the number of complaints.) Hotels/Attractions - Clarify convention time/peak time issues to transport customers between the Airport and destination locations - Review long waits for cabs at hotels - Increase access to downtown locations more convenient (Arena, hotels, bars, etc.) - Improve driver knowledge of downtown attractions, restaurants, etc. (participation of hotel industry?) - Review payment options for hotel use of cabs when free shuttles are not available - Address policy of hotel doormen requesting a gratuity to direct customers to taxis - Review "advance payment" issue when hotels pay in advance for taxi service and individual drivers ask for additional fare Convenience/Speed of Service - Allow taxicabs to use bus curbs to drop off passengers - Allow the use of bus lanes downtown to transport passengers, particularly on First and Second Streets - Make diamond lanes available to pick up taxi passengers - Clarify issues around refusing to take fares from the "wrong side of town"   Next Steps - The Task has formed two subcommittees to review and make preliminary recommendations to the full Task Force. The Ordinance Subcommittee will review primarily issues related to regulation and revision of the City's current taxicab ordinance. The Customer Service Subcommittee will review primarily issues related to improving taxi service to customers. - After the Subcommittees have made their preliminary recommendations, the full Task Force will meet to consider final recommendations. The full Task Force's recommendations will go to the City Council for review. For the dates and locations of Subcommittee and full Task Force meetings, please click on "Task Force Meeting Agendas" on this website.     Back