SF taxi drivers, feeling the crunch from rideshare and Waymo, demand support from city

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco taxi drivers are calling on the city for assistance as they struggle financially due to competition from rideshare services and the costly medallion program.

Taxi drivers in San Francisco are facing financial difficulties as they compete with rideshare companies like Uber and Waymo. The city’s medallion program, which requires drivers to pay $250,000 for a license to operate, is adding to their financial burden.

“We pay $250,000 for the medallion, which right now has no worth,” said Miguel Marquez, a taxi driver who has been driving with his medallion for 12 years.

Mark Gruberg of the SF Taxi Workers Alliance highlighted that 300 drivers have already defaulted on their medallion loans and no longer have medallions, as these are now in the hands of the credit union.

Miguel Marquez, a taxi driver, expressed his frustration with the costs associated with maintaining his taxi business, including gasoline and insurance. He mentioned that despite working up to 16 hours a day, he only makes around $100 daily.

Drivers are urging the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) and the San Francisco Federal Credit Union (SFFCU) to provide debt relief or buy back the medallions.

Matthew Sutter, another taxi driver, criticized the city for not supporting taxi drivers after they helped the city during the recession.

As taxi drivers continue to struggle, they are seeking immediate intervention from city officials to address the unsustainable medallion program and the competitive disadvantage posed by rideshare companies.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KRON4. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KRON4 staff before being published.