Cab Drivers Strike at San Jose Airport

The rules, which were adopted by the city in June, called for Uber and Lyft drivers to undergo fingerprints, meet vehicle age and condition restrictions and obtain business licenses before operating at the airport – the same rules imposed on cab drivers.

San Jose’s airport is the only major airport in the San Francisco Bay Area without ride-sharing services, such as Uber and Lyft. “It’s an ongoing effort where we collect a database of licence plates of those who are driving illegally within our cities”, Way said, adding they’ve been lobbying insurance companies since Uber surfaced in Canada.

Parking revenue is a significant issue for the airport, where fees make up a sizable portion of its revenue – roughly between $1.5 million and $1.8 million per month previous year for parking alone – and parking taxes contribute around $2 million to the city’s General Fund.

Airport officials say taxi drivers are on strike. But Lyft and Uber denounced the regulatory scheme, and no drivers for the ride-booking companies agreed to sign up.

In the footage the taxi driver, posing as a passenger, first confirms with the man driving the vehicle that he is on an Uber job and then asks to be taken to a local police station.

A driver from Uber said that many of them could not understand the English draft.

Taxi drivers argued to the Mercury News that Uber and Lyft should have to follow the same rules.

Mayor Jim Watson had said he hoped to have a solution that is a “fair compromise” by the end of 2015, although the taxi by-law review is expected to be tabled in early 2016. Unlike taxi drivers, Uber drivers do not have to pay registration fees or sit a knowledge test.

The audits will verify the driver’s identity, criminal background and look for outstanding warrants.

Taxi drivers also claim they’ve faced attacks and fear it will only get worse.

The concern with ride-sharing is that drivers may be unaware of insurance gaps, their risks and their limits with a policy, which could result in coverage implications, Kee said. “That means that they allow taxis that are permitted to operate in the city of San Jose to come to the airport to transport our passengers off-airport”, she said.

And in an effort to “level the playing field” between cabbies and their high-tech competition, the City Council next week will discuss deregulating taxis.

The monthly auditing process, a model that’s been used in San Diego, would include random curbside audits using mobile fingerprinting equipment. Airport officials were aware of the potential strike and have made contingency plans, according to spokeswoman Rosemary Barnes.