San Francisco Cab Drivers Push to End Credit Card Fees

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — Taxi cab drivers were at the San Francisco Board of Supervisors this week pushing a resolution to relinquish five percent fees they pay when customers use a credit card to pay their fare.

Cab drivers hope the City's Transportation Board will re-visit the issue.

The Municipal Transportation Board made the call to allow cab companies to pass credit card transaction fees of five percent onto drivers.

KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:

Cabbies came to the supervisor's government audit committee seeking support for a resolution that asks the MTA to reconsider that decision.

"This has created a windfall for large companies and has placed a costly and unfair burden on their drivers," said one driver.

Drivers also argued the new fees suck anywhere from one to two thousand dollars a year out of their pocket.

Cab companies said they can't afford the charges either and that fares were recently raised with the increase going to drivers.

"Drivers accepting these credit cards; their volume goes up, they take more passengers, get better tips, their overall revenue increases," said one company representative.

Supervisor David Campos is pushing this effort to get the MTA to take a look at who pays the cost of a credit card transaction but he said his concern is the customer.

"You are going to have situations where a customer gets into a cab and there is that argument or discussion about whether or not that person will be allowed to use a credit card," Campos said.

The MTA meanwhile said it's heard the howls and is already taking a second look.

The committee sent the resolution to the full board with a do pass recommendation.

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