Trip Fee Changes in SFO Notice 2021.6.24

TO: San Francisco Taxi Drivers and Color Schemes

As you may be aware, the Airport Commission adopted an increase to the taxi pickup fee of $1.00, bringing the fee from $4.50 to $5.50 on July 1, 2021. The current SFMTA Transportation Code specifies that taxi drivers may “pass through” up to $4.00 of this fee to customers. SFO had expected the SFMTA Board to approve changes to the Transportation Code prior to July 1, 2021 that would allow all of the fee to be passed through to customers, but this could not be scheduled until the July 20th meeting. SFO staff are aware that impacts from COVID-19 have been very hard on taxi drivers, so we are asking the Airport Commission to pass an amendment to delay implementation of the higher taxi pickup fee until after SFMTA changes the pass-through rule. The higher fee would go into effect 15 days after SFMTA takes action but no later than September 1st, 2021. The Airport Commission will vote on this amendment at their July 6, 2021 meeting. If approved, it will be retroactive to July 1, 2021.

What this means for taxi drivers and color schemes: On July 1, 2021, the pickup fee will technically increase to $5.50, but, as a courtesy to taxi drivers, SFO will only collect $4.50 and drivers may continue to pass through $4.00 to customers. SFO will do this assuming that the Airport Commission will take action on July 6th to delay the implementation of the taxi pickup fee increase. We expect the Commission to adopt the amendment, but if for some reason they do not, SFO will retroactively bill taxi drivers $1.00 extra for each trip taken from July 1 through July 6, and SFO will start charging $5.50 per pickup moving forward.

Seth Morgan
Senior Transportation Planner
SFO Landside Operations